The Untold Life of the Salt Princess
by AmethystPearl99
Summary: It all started with love. Because of that love, war broke out. However, from that war, there can be hope. After the events of Moonlight Romance and before the events of Return of the Salt Princess.
1. Chapter 1

**Alright, you know I'll be doing this. I've been anticipated to do this story because... Let's be honest, it tied with BoR in my books. This story is Post Moonlight Romance and Pre Return of the Salt Princess. Here is the first chapter. Enjoy.  
**

* * *

Chapter 1: The Dragon Prince and his Bride

As he made his way to the rooftop, he staggers, still under the effects of the sleeping mushrooms. When King Henryk reached the top of the stairways, the sight before him shook his mind awake. In front of him, a few feet away, was Princess Wanda, his betrothed. With her is the Prince of the Daemon Evokers, the one who have sent that declaration of war. This was the first time he saw the Daemon Prince. He was dressed in blue robes and has shoulder length light brown hair. Wrapped around his forehead is an orange headband with yellow stripes.

 _'So this is the Prince who declared war on my kingdom...'_

The King saw Wanda taking his hand as the Prince took her away with that beast of a Daemon of his. Running, but knowing that it was futile, King Henryk tried to stopped them from leaving.

"Wanda! Come back! Don't leave me!" he called out.

Sadly, she made her choice. She choose Nuada, not him. As Wanda was taken away, King Henryk could only stare as the dragon took her and the Prince to the sealed realm of Solwood. He collapsed to his knees in defeat, his head sinks. He had lost. His future bride was gone.

But wait!

Was Wanda really gone? What if she didn't choose the Prince of the Daemon Evokers clan? What if she was being taken against her will? After all, the Prince threatened their marriage! He must have bewitched Wanda into taking those moonlit walks before the message too. What other explanation was there? Looking back up at the full moon, there was a determined look in the young man's eyes.

 _'I shall come to save you, Wanda.'_

A few minutes later, many of his guards have awaken from the sleeping mushrooms. Two of them have run to the rooftop to find their King standing on his feet.

"Your Majesty!" one of the guards exclaimed. "Your Majesty, thank goodness you're okay!"

"Yeah..." King Henryk trailed off. "But Princess Wanda has been taken by the Prince of the Daemon Evokers clan. We have to get her back."

"Sir!" they complied.

"Spread the news! I need my best men! In three days time, we shall go to Solwood and fight the clan after their Prince has sent a declaration of war!"

The two guards agreed and left the rooftop. As lights started to lit to signal the men waking up in the middle of the night, Henryk looked at the border of Solwood. Though the magical realm has been blocked off and difficult to find via the Forest of No Return, soon... With enough men, they will get through and find Princess Wanda.

In three days time, King Henryk have gathered his men to storm into Solwood. Immediately, however, people have gotten lost when picking different passage way. Unlike Wanda, who seemed to be immune to the forest's enchantment, they cannot wander around without returning to the Sacred Grove. It was just impossible! Getting nowhere, the men temporarily retreated along with their King.

Returning to his Throne Room, King Henryk sat on his throne with a heavy sigh. Without a way to get pass the Forest of No Return, getting to Solwood would be nearly impossible. He let out another frustrated sigh. If getting nowhere with the realm's first defense is this difficult, than imagining getting to Solwood only pestered the man in the wrong way.

Suddenly, a knock can be heard as Henryk straighten up his composure, "Come in."

The doors opened to reveal an old woman with a magical staff. She has short grey hair that is concealed in a long purple cap and is adorn in purple robes with hints of gold accents and black over a red slip dress. The King immediately stood on his feet for he knew that this woman was not an inhabitant of his kingdom.

"I am graciously humbled to be in your presence, Your Majesty." the woman greeted in a raspy voice.

"Who are you?! You are not from my kingdom!" he demanded.

"You needn't worry about me, Your Majesty. Rest assured, I am an ally, not your enemy." the woman assured. "My name is Cailleach."

Feeling a bit relaxed, Henryk slowing sat back down on his throne. However, his suspicion did not waver just yet. Something about this woman felt... Odd. She has that same presence as the Dragon Prince, but it felt more intimidating and threatening. That's when he realized. This woman is not human. She is a Daemon Evoker!

Not taking his eyes off the crone, he questioned, "And just how are you an ally? How do I know that you're not my enemy?"

"Because I have a solution to your dilemma. I can grant your men magic so they won't get lost in the Forest of No Return. My magic can allow you to get passed the enchantment and guide you to the very core of Solwood."

"Really?" the King mentally cursed himself for expressing interest clearly. He did not trust this woman, but he does need help. "Why should I trust you?"

"I was shunned from the clan. I could care less for them. Why should they deserved pity when they banished me?"

"They must have a good reason to." the man suggest.

"All I wanted was to improve my magic. I never harmed anyone with all the spells I learned." Cailleach explained.

That was a lie. There was one person she sorta harmed. There was a story long ago, lost in history... When the Daemon Evoker was exiled, she seeks refuge in the forest of Germany. There, she was known as the Wise Woman, who would live in seclusion and gather herbs for medical purposes. A royal couple of the Forest Kingdom once came to her for help. They needed a potion so the Forest Queen can produce an heir to the throne. She complied, only wishing to be the child's Godmother and invited to his Coming of Age Ceremony. Yes, the child turns out to be a boy. However, the royal couple broke their promise and in retaliation, she cursed the young Forest Prince into a frog.

Reminded that no one takes her seriously, the Wise Woman was now deemed as a witch. That was fine. If they wanted a witch, then they'll get a witch. Recalling the time when she was banished by the King of the Daemon Evokers clan, she lashed out on all of them. Humans and Daemon Evokers. None of them respect her talents in her magical gift. She had been kind once, but not anymore. It was then that she swears revenge. So, for many centuries, she started to plan the downfall of the world. The first to fall... Shall be Solwood.

"Very well. What is it do you want in return?" King Henryk asked.

"What I want? There is nothing in the world that you could give to appease me." Cailleach answered. "All I wished is to stay in your kingdom. A gesture of hospitality."

"Alright. Should your magic aid me on my conquest well, you shall become my Royal Advisor. If your magic works, that is."

"I assure you that you won't be greatly disappointed, King Henryk." the woman feigned guidance.

"How long will the spell be ready?"

"Roughly ten months." Cailleach replied. "Magic like this takes time and patient."

"Then in ten months, the Grak Kingdom will be at war with Solwood." the King declared.

* * *

On a beautiful moonlit night, Wanda was walking around in the forest, reaching the lake where she first met Nuada. Despite it was chilly outside, not a hint of snow covered the beautiful land of Solwood. It has been a month since Wanda eloped with Nuada. She was content with her life and had no regrets in her decision. Living with the Daemon Evokers, she did felt out of place. Yet, the moment she arrived, the clan cheered for her arrival and welcomed her as part of their family. The wedding happened a few weeks later where Nuada and Wanda were pronounced "Husband and Wife".

She now wore dresses that are surprisingly comfortable. She wasn't forced into tight corsets or fancy fabric. Wearing a green cloak over a simple dark turquoise dress with gold accents, Wanda continued her walk. Away from the life of royalty, she just felt free. Her long, ash blonde hair is out and flowy, not pampered and styled in complicated hairstyle. Her side swept bangs eventually parted in the center. Simplistic, but natural. Adorn in her strands are colorful flowers. However, out of the change of her appearance, there was only one thing that Wanda paid attention to. The simple silver band on her left ring finger. She continued to stare at the band until she felt a pair of hands covering her sight.

"Guess who?" a familiar voice teased.

"Hm, let's see... Is it a dragon?" she playful guessed.

A cheerful chuckle can be heard as the voice answered, "No, try again."

"Is it a Daemon?"

"Close, but no. Try again." the voice replied.

"Is it my husband?" Wanda smiled.

Immediately, the hands left her eyes as the woman glanced around in delight at the sight of her husband. She smiled at the Dragon Prince as she fully turned towards him. He is dressed in the same blue robe with hints of orange and brown. He, too, was wearing a cloak to shield him from the cold air. As he got close, Wanda can feel the air getting more warmer... As if she was being protected by the flames of a dragon.

It was quite a romantic sight honestly. A loving couple at the overview look of the lake... Nuada smiled a tender smile as he caressed his wife's cheeks with his finger. Slowly trailing up, his finger reached to the flowers sown into her hair. At the touch, the flowers rearranged themselves to form a flower crown. Wanda let out a small giggle as she place her hands on her husband's shoulders. Nuada gently hold the back of her head as the two leaned in. Closing their eyes, the two lovers shared a kiss.

They both didn't want it to end, so the kiss was slow, yet passionate.

When the kiss finished, the two slowly parted their lips. Sharply taking in a breath and slowly breathing out a sigh, Wanda's eyes fluttered open to stare at Nuada's silver eyes before letting out a soft laugh. Nuada chuckled as their attention was drawn to the rising sun. The lake glistening under dawn's light.

Taking a stroll with Nuada, the couple walked around until they reached a beautiful grassy field. Rolling down the small hill and reaching the flowers at the bottom, the couple laugh at the joy they're feeling. It was so... Refreshing. Eventually, the two remain amongst the flowers. Enjoying the sweet breeze that softly brushed against their cheeks, Nuada took a glance to see Wanda making a flower chain.

Smiling, Nuada turned his sight onto the clear sky. Very soon, he drifted to sleep. It was peaceful and he wished it remain that way. When he woke up, Nuada got up to see that he was alone. Concerned, he turned around, seeing something missing in the serene scenery.

"Wanda?" he called out.

Suddenly, he felt like he was being tackled by someone. Judging on how he landed with a grunt, the person must have tackled him from above. Groaning, he looked to see Wanda's smiling face. She giggled and before her husband could speak, she quickly took a kiss.

"Am I forgiven?" she whispered playfully, referring to her tackling earlier.

"Yes." Nuada laughed.

They kissed again, except it wasn't cut abruptly like before. Rolling around in the bed of flowers, the lovers are truly happy for the other. They are just in love. At the end of the day, the couple rested on top of the small hill, looking at the sun as it sets its rays. The hues of the sky are just enchanting. Pink and orange near the sun as the purple and indigo hues of dusk started to setting in. Seeing the sight with Wanda made Nuada immensely happy. However, he started to frown at a single thought that has crossed his mind.

Noticing the change in expression, Wanda prompted, "What's wrong, Nuada?"

"I just remembered something... Our marriage, it's similar to a legend I once heard. The story is well known here at Solwood."

"What is this legend about?"

"Wanda, you know that because of my ancestry, I cannot die so easily, right?" Nuada questioned. She gave a nod as he continued, "My ancestry once split into two groups of families, each have a different Daemon. The first was my family. As you know, my spirit animal is a dragon, Solais. Everyone else who are a direct member of the Dragon Family also have their own dragon familiar."

"What about the other family?"

"The other family, the sister group to the Dragon Family, command a lesser form of dragons. They are the Snake Family."

"Snake Family?"

"I was reminded of the story from the Snake Family." Nuada admitted. "Despite we once shared the same ancestor, they have an interesting... Ability. The family aren't as strong like me or the others, so when they die, they are reincarnated with their Daemons."

"Why is the story well known?"

"Because it started a beautiful romance story only to end tragically."

Leaning closer, Wanda asked, "Will you tell me?"

Nuada nodded as he started telling the story he heard many times. Two members of the Snake Family, sisters in fact, wanted to travel the world to experience love. Similar to what they did. Anyway, the older sister command a white snake while the younger sister control the green snake. The older sister met with a mortal man and fell in love with him during her travels to a foreign land. Sadly, their romance was looked down upon by the Heavens. So when they died, the snake sisters reincarnated, taking the form of their Daemons as their punishment by the celestial law. The older sister became known as the White Snake and the younger sister as the Green Snake.

It was said that the White Snake wished to gain immortality and mediated for many years. During her quest to gain what she desired, the human reincarnation of her lover saved her life once. In gratitude, she promised to repay his kindness. The White Snake trained and meditated on Mt. Emei, her home, for hundred of years. Along the way, she saved the life of the Green Snake, the reincarnation of her sister. For a thousand years, the White Snake gained enlightenment and achieved immortality. Having cultivated enough chi, the snake sisters went to the human world to find the latest reincarnation of her lover.

The White Snake met with her lover on a bridge on one rainy day. They would go to the pavilion that outlooks the West Lake. After some time, they fell in love and were married. Sadly, a monk wanted to separate the married couple, believing that love between two species was forbidden. For a while, he would failed because the White Snake was with child. A month after the child was born, the monk succeeded and captured the White Snake, imprisoning her under Leifeng Pagoda. The lovers remain separated. A prophecy was given to the son of the White Snake. He was the destined child meant to reunite his parents. Initially, he believed that if he top the imperial exams and became the scholar, he could free his trapped mother. Sadly, nothing happened.

That same monk once encountered him and told the young scholar of the requirements. Not unless the West Lake dries up, Leifeng Pagoda falls, or the palm tree blossoming flowers, can his mother ever be freed. And so, the White Snake remain trapped in a pagoda and her mortal husband eventually died from time. As for the Green Snake? No one knows what happened to the little sister or her fate. The monk was no where to be found and the son took it upon himself to set off on a journey to find a way to free his mother and reunite his family. That legend was over 500 years ago.

"That's how their story ends." Nuada finished.

"Such a sad ending." Wanda remarked.

"I agreed, but that is why I'm worried. What if... Our lives repeats that tragedy? Being separated from you... Or knowing that you'll one day leave me... It hurts from thinking of that possibility."

"Then don't think about it. I'm here with you, Nuada. I can never leave you." the woman softly spoke with him.

A small smile crawled at the corners of his lips. He leans in a gave her a kiss as nightfall finally arrive. Fireflies flickered their lights and fly around the couple. Breaking apart, the Dragon Prince took in fresh air.

"Lets go home."

His Princess agrees, giving a small nod. Returning to the Dragon Fort, the two royals retire to the Master Bedroom. As they laid down on the master bed, Wanda can see that Nuada is still worried about the future. Although the Princess haven't heard of the clan's own prophecy, she wishes to secure the "hope" for her husband. Even if she were to leave this earth one day, that "hope" shall help Nuada in her place - in times where she can't be there for him.

"Nuada?" she called out.

"Hm? What is it, my Moon Princess?"

Letting actions speak instead of words, Wanda leans close and pressed her lips against his. He returned the kiss as he turned to embrace her in his arms. The pale moonlight shined on the couple as their love intensified. The next day, Nuada was the first to wake. Seeing his wife next to him put a smile on his face as he gently stroke a lock of her hair. Eventually, Wanda woke up and smiled at her husband lovingly.

"Did you have a good sleep last night?"

"I did. Thank you, Wanda." he answered before kissing her.

After a few weeks later, the Princess was looking at books on clothing. However, the clothes depicted in the books were of a smaller scale. Nuada have returned from night duties. Rumors have spread in the forest that King Henryk was preparing for war. It hasn't been confirmed, so many of the best Daemon Evokers were out to guard Solwood, just in case. Of course, the Dragon Prince didn't want to worry his Moon Princess, so he didn't tell her about it. He simply told her that it was a simple guard duty.

"Nuada, how did it go?" Wanda glanced around her shoulders, elated to see him again.

"It went well." Nuada replied. "What are you doing, looking at those books?"

The Princess giggled, "Well, I was hoping to keep it a secret, but... I'm pregnant."

A smile graced his face as he walked over to his wife. Honestly, he was speechless and didn't know what to say.

"Wha, this is wonderful!" he exclaimed.

Honestly, he wasn't thinking of the prophecy. He was simply thinking about raising a family together with Wanda. Embracing his wife, Nuada gave her a kiss as the two were filled with overflowing joy. Tomorrow, they shall share the news with all of the Daemon Evokers in Solwood.

* * *

Finally, ten months have passed. The King of the Grak Kingdom, now twenty one, has waited for a very long time. He stood at the rooftop where Wanda was last taken, overlooking the magical realm. Though he had time to practice patience, he was very anxious. If the old woman lied to him, he would lose in a war he started. If she wasn't lying and he got to Solwood, would he be able to find Wanda?

"Hm?"

His attention shifted as the old woman came up the stairs. She was grinning as she took out a purple vial.

"It took a while, but it's finally ready." Cailleach explained with glee.

"I did what you said and have prepared my men. They are waiting down below." King Henryk spoke.

Taking out a bit of the potion, the woman blew the green dust onto the King. Walking over the edge, she sprinkled the potion to the soldiers below. Some were bewildered and confused at what this green dust is and what it does. At that moment, the King explained about the potion's effects and remind them of the quest they're on. Cheering for their ruler, the men agreed to aid him despite knowing of the dangers behind the forest.

As Henryk went downstairs to join his army, the witch went with him. The potion will indeed help the humans get passed the enchantment, but they will need her help in exploiting the clan's weakness. The people of the Grak Kingdom decided to attack at night, where the Daemon Evokers are asleep. It was the most vulnerable state for them to be in. Once the army got through the forest's enchantment, the woman lead the men far enough before turning to the King.

"This is as far as I can go. I assume you can take care of the rest?" Cailleach questioned.

"You have proved your words and have aid me in dire times. Return to the palace. From here and out, you shall be my Royal Advisor." Henryk declared.

"Very well." the now newly declared Royal Advisor replied before disappearing in a cloud of smoke.

Turning his attention to the middle passageway, they rode onward. Reaching the kingdom of Solwood, some of the men were captivated by the magical beauty of the land. However, most of them were on guard, not knowing what will happen. Suddenly, their attention was turned on a screeched. The screech belongs to a Daemon that took the form of a hawk.

"Who goes there?!" a voice exclaimed.

The bird attacked as one of the guards took out his weapon and slashed at the Daemon's wings. The hawk cried as the Daemon Evoker who just questioned the group of humans fallen in pain. He has his arm reaching for his injured left one, the same spot where his Daemon was struck.

Immediately, other Daemon Evokers arrived, having heard of the commotion. There were shocked to discover humans in their territory, but quickly recovered to summon their soul animals. A battle quickly took place, neither sides fought without effort. Some soldiers had to retreat from their injuries while the same amount of Evokers were forced to return to their kingdom.

Amidst the battle, one of the Evokers questioned, "Why are you attacking us?! We did nothing wrong to offend you!"

"Your Prince has kidnapped the King's betrothed!" a guard exclaimed.

"As always, you human still haven't changed. Always lying, deceitful creatures, I see." the Evoker remarked.

The battle began to escalates as each side fought ferociously. All reason and logic were abandon. It was now all pitted on impulses and instincts. Weapons thrown, Daemons attack, men falling, Evokers injured. At one point, a close friend of the Dragon Prince stealthily avoided the battle and quickly made his way to the Dragon Fort. This young Evoker is Taichleach. His Daemon is a lynx. Reaching to the palace, the Evoker burst in, startling the couple.

"Taichleach, what's wrong?" Nuada asked, concerned.

"It's the humans! They're here, in Solwood!" he exclaimed.

"What? That's impossible! How did they get passed our enchantments?" the Dragon Prince wondered.

"We don't know." the Lynx Evoker sadly comment.

The room was quiet for a moment until a voice broke that silence.

"Ah..."

Immediately, Wanda started to feel discomfort. Her breathing quickens and she felt like she was going to fall. Her husband noticed and reached out to steady her.

"Wanda, my love, what's wrong?" he asked worriedly.

She didn't look at him, conflicted at this predicament. However, she can't just disregard it either. Trying to muster the strength to talk, she told him of the news in a pained voice.

"The baby..." she looked up at him. "It's coming..."

* * *

 **Alright, it's time for some facts and little notes that I always have when making stories like this.**

 **1) At the end of Moonlight Romance, King Henryk was kinda walking funny up the stairs. So I clarified that by making him staggering from the sleeping mushrooms.**

 **2) Cailleach is the name of the Irish Goddess of the same name. Just like Brigid is the beautiful Irish Goddess of the Summer, Cailleach is the crone Goddess of Winter. In modern times, the name literally means old woman or witch. Pretty fitting, don't you think? Blue Tea, if you're somehow reading this, please stop making characters having no names. Although it's fun to make a name, I would like to have an official name.**

 **3) I cannot help it. I LOVE Legend of the White Snake and cannot help, but reference it. Besides, the bonus game made lots of references to Asian fairytales in the parables.**

 **4) Seven kisses in one chapter, in one section. That's a record.**

 **5) Taichleach means peacemaking.  
**

 **What did you guys think? Please leave a review on your thoughts. Give critiques, suggestion, how I can improve in my writing, stuff like that. Please don't just say that you love it because I won't know what specific parts in the chapter you love. Anyway, see you soon.  
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	2. Chapter 2

**I forgot the mention, but this story will contain 14 chapters. 14 chapters for the 14th game. There will be a curse word, but like always, it will be censored. I have nothing else to say, so here is chapter 2. Enjoy.**

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Chapter 2: War between the Daemons Evokers and Humans

 _Nine months ago, when Wanda announced the new of her pregnancy to Nuada, the couple has been discussing on their unborn child. Walking in the forest with care, the Dragon Prince would always make sure that his lovely Moon Princess felt as comfortable as possible. On a full moon where the night gets chilly, he would wrap his cloak around his wife to add another layer of warmth._

 _"Thank you, Nuada." Wanda smiled gratefully._

 _"Anything for you and the child." Nuada smiled back._

 _On the topic of their unborn child, they began to speculate what their child would look like. Would it be a girl or a boy? Would it be a mortal like his wife? Or would it grow up to be an Evoker like the Dragon Prince, himself? So many questions and possibilities..._

 _"I wonder... If my bloodline will have an influence on the child?" Wanda wondered._

 _"The bloodline of death and immortality, animals and plants." Nuada muttered. "It's possible that the child will be born as a half blood Daemon Evoker."_

 _"Are there many half blood Daemon Evoker in Solwood?"_

 _"There used to, but ever since the clan lived in solitude for many years, all knowledge concerning half bloods has been lost or forgotten." the Dragon Prince explained._

 _The couple would discussed in length about their child, but they'll have to wait and see when the time arrives for its birth._

* * *

Nuada is alarmed at the news. Of course, he is happy to know that his child will arrive very soon, but the fact that his clan is fighting the humans worried him. Taichleach, sensing his Prince's concern, had assured him that the situation with the humans will be taken care of. As a husband and soon to be father, he should stay by his wife's side.

"Yes, but what about you? I cannot let my clan suffer." Nuada argued.

"Like I said, we'll take care of it." Taichleach reassured as a servant girl took Wanda to the Master Bedroom.

The process was complete torture. As Nuada waited outside, he grew more concern for both his wife and his clan. What if the clan needs his help? What if Wanda died from the process? What if his child doesn't arrive safely? Each time he hears Wanda's agonizing screams, he just want to burst through the doors and rush to her side for comfort. At the same time, the thought of the Daemon Evokers fighting the humans also torment his mind. Pacing around, the Dragon Prince continued to wait as patiently as possible. By the time the clock chimed, it was already midnight. It's now the first of February. Eventually, a new set of cries can be heard.

Finally, what seems like forever, the doors were open as the servant girl looked at Nuada with a smile, "Congratulations, Your Highness. The child has arrived safely and your wife is just fine. She's just tired."

"What is the gender of my child?" Nuada asked, a hint of curiosity overcame him.

"Asked Wanda. She knows." the girl winked.

Wanting to give the royal family some alone time, the servant girl left as Nuada steps into the room. There, he saw Wanda laying in bed with their newborn, wrapped in green silk, in her arms. Turning her attention to her husband, the Princess gave a tired smile. She gestures for him to come closer. Eventually, the Dragon Prince stood next to his wife, kneeling down to catch a glimpse of his child. The cute newborn already have full blonde hair.

"Oh, Nuada. Isn't she beautiful?

"She? I have a daughter?" Nuada beamed.

"Mm-hm."

Wanda let out a small laughed as she placed her daughter into her husband's arms. Immediately, the girl cried, alarming the Prince. He felt a bit awkward as he attempts to soothe his crying daughter. A couple of minutes passed and he started to wonder if he was too intimidating to his child. Nevertheless, the girl eventually stops crying and stares at her father's eyes with curiosity. Nuada's smile grew as the baby's little hands started reaching out for his hair.

"She's beautiful... And she has your eyes." Nuada remarked.

Returning his daughter into the arms of his wife, the Dragon Prince walked to the balcony. Now that he knows his wife and daughter are both safe, he can help his clan. Opening the doors, he can see the Daemon Evokers were getting fatigued from their long battle against the humans. Closing his eyes, Nuada concentrate as he summoned Solais. The sight of the dragon wavers in the minds of the human soldiers. As Solais took flight, he breath out fire that scorched the ground black. There were no unnecessary lives taken. By summoning his soul animal, Nuada hoped that the human got the warning. Tired and injured from the battle, the King and his men were forced to retreat as the Daemon Evokers cheered for their Dragon Prince.

However, instead of returning to the Grak Kingdom defeated, King Henryk ordered his men to set up camp at the forest. Eventually, they'll wage another battle of a wider scale and it won't stop until he finds Wanda again. After all, the battle may be lost, but not the war. As the humans retreat, Solais disappeared as Nuada returned to his Moon Princess' side.

Sitting at the edge of her bed, Nuada hold out a finger as the adorable bundle of joy grasped it with those tiny fingers of hers. Chuckling at the child, he asked for the name of his daughter.

"Brigid." Wanda answered.

* * *

A few days after Brigid was born, a cute baby green dragon appeared. The adorable creature has a frog-like face with a red jewel in the middle of her face. Her head is crowned with dark golden ridges with rounded edges and pale red fins for ears. She has a lizard-like tail with the end shaped like an ivy leaf. The wings were made of different segments that resembles the shapes of ivy leaves - if looked in a horizontal direction - with each segments being as translucent as the wings of a dragonfly.

At the sight of the creature, the couple figured out that their daughter has the ability to summon her own Daemon. Therefore, she is a half blood Daemon Evoker. Looking at the soul animal of her daughter, Wanda became puzzled.

"Nuada, when Daemons are summoned for the first time, do they already have names or do the Evokers named them?"

"It's actually complicated." the Dragon Prince admits.

He explained that although Daemons don't have names, the Evokers kinda know it. When he first summoned Solais, he know his name, but he didn't exactly named him. Many of the Evokers have that same feeling. As if the name just pop into their mind, so it's undetermined if the Daemons actually have names and shared them with their Evokers spiritually or the Evokers named them, themselves.

That wasn't the first time the family was completely baffled. After seeing the little creature, Nuada cannot understand why his daughter's Daemon have a face like a frog. Don't get him wrong, he finds her adorable, but the frog-like face made him think about the witch who was exiled for over a thousand years. Was it a sign that the witch has some influence on his daughter? However, Wanda had assured him by explaining her heritage. Her ancestor was once cursed into the form of a frog by a witch. And although Brigid is a half blood Daemon Evoker, her own bloodline must have some influence on her daughter's Daemon.

As the days go by, the little Dragon Princess grew. They were startled when they heard her first word. It wasn't "Mother" or "Father" like the usually words that come out of a child's mouth. Instead, her first word was more like a name. It began on one night when the sounds of war rang. Storms and thunder roared in the sky. Brigid was in her crib, crying at the sound. She was completely terrified. Immediately, her familiar appeared. Seeing her Evoker upset, the little dragon started to lick her tears. At the sight of her Daemon, the little Princess started to smile. That's when she said her first word. The name that just appeared in her mind.

"Dracaena!" she smiled.

Delighted, Dracaena squealed as she cuddled with her Evoker before both fell asleep. It surely came to a surprise for Nuada and Wanda to see their daughter calling out the name of her soul animal the next day. Nevertheless, they were happy for her because one day, she shall call Wanda "Mother" and Nuada "Father".

Many months have passed and there was one incident where Dracaena let out a cute dragon sneeze. The moment she did, ivy vines started to spurred from the ground, clinging to a nearby furniture. It left the parents utterly baffled.

At the sight, Wanda jokingly noted, "It's as if I'm taking care of two little children."

Nuada chuckled, "Well, she is a part of her and vice versa."

With that, the family continued to live contently as years go by. However, not all good things were meant to last forever...

* * *

Despite the continuous war, the family tried to live a peaceful life as possible. After that nearly invasion on Brigid's birth, Nuada had ordered more guards and Evokers to protect Solwood. When they realized that the King and his men haven't retreated, they had to do everything they can to pushed them back further away from their land. The war was successful and the Daemon Evokers were winning. Knowing this, the Dragon Prince felt some burden lifted from his chest. He turned to see his daughter.

The little Dragon Princess grew to bear a striking resemblance to her mother. The four year old girl has shoulder length blonde hair with two strands in front. There was a cleft on the left side of her bangs and pink blush on her face. Like her father, she wore a headband of a similar fashion. The only difference was an ivy leaf on the right side of her hair. She wore a simple white dress with a small green cloak around her. On her feet are little green slippers.

On one afternoon day... The little Dragon Princess ran, frolicking in the grass meadow as her Daemon, Dracaena, flew after her. Nuada and Wanda watched as their daughter was enjoying herself. She looked lively and free. As for Dracaena, she is such an adorable little dragon. The sight of their daughter playing with her Daemon spark a smile on their faces.

Chuckling, Nuada walked over to his daughter's side as she finally caught Dracaena. Turning towards her father, Brigid smiled as she jumps into his arms.

"Father!"

Her sweet smile only made the Dragon Prince smile even more. Setting her down, he gave her a wooden sword. At first, Brigid looked at the sword given to her, studying it like a curious child she was. Giving it a few swings, the little girl was smiling with glee and excitement.

Laughing, Nuada took out another wooden sword. It was longer than Brigid's, almost the length of a normal sword. Understanding on what her father intending to do, Brigid took a swing. However, the Dragon Prince easily blocked the move. Letting his daughter take a few more shots at him, it wasn't until later that Nuada claimed victory.

"Practice makes perfect." Nuada explained as he teaches his daughter.

They practiced for nearly the entire day until some of the Daemon Evokers came rushing to their Dragon Prince. They looked tired and some were wounded from battle.

"Prince Nuada!" one called out. "We have a problem. We're losing. Many of us have died in battle."

"What?"

"The humans...! They have help!" another explained.

"We need your help, Prince Nuada!" a third pleaded.

Sighing, the Prince know of the little option he has. Even if he did have other options, he still would have picked the right path. He will fight. To protect his clan... And to protect his family.

"Very well." Nuada agrees. "Wanda, please take Brigid back home."

"Okay." Wanda complies, giving him a quick kiss.

Just before Nuada could leave with the other Daemon Evokers, the little Dragon Princess ran up to him, tugging on his robes.

"Father?" Brigid called out in worry.

Seeing that his daughter doesn't understand the situation, Nuada told the other Evokers to give him some time, assuring them that he'll join them shortly. Kneeling down, he brush a finger against the girl's cheeks. Her sad green eyes really broke his heart.

"Brigid, I have to go somewhere." Nuada told her.

"When will you return?" she asked curiously.

"I..." her father pauses. "I don't know."

Tears started to form in the girl's eyes. She may be young, but she can understood what a war could do to a family. Her voice started to tremble as she let out a whimper.

"Brigid, let's go." Wanda told her as gently as possible.

Clearly, the war was affecting her too.

Addressing to his daughter, Nuada told her, "Brigid, while I'm gone... Practice more in using your sword, protect your mother for me. As you slowly improve, that means that I'm doing okay. And maybe one day, I will return home to see you grow into a strong, brave Dragon Princess."

"Mm." Brigid nodded sadly.

Still seeing that his daughter was still upset, he sighs. Taking out a dragon doll from his pocket, he gave it to Brigid. The doll looked a bit like Solais.

"When there comes a time that you missed me, just look at this doll. Know that Solais will be watching you once in a while. That means that I'm watching over you too." Nuada explained. "Even if we can't see each other like this or hug each other like this."

Wiping the tears from her eyes, Brigid attempts to smile, but failed. Clutching the dragon doll close to her chest, the child lean in to give a small peck on her father's cheek. She hoped that her father returned home safety after the war has ended. Giving Nuada a small hopeful smile, the girl turned around to return home with her mother.

At night, the young Dragon Princess couldn't sleep. Not when war is on her mind constantly. Suddenly, Dracaena appeared. She cooed as Brigid hugged her Daemon. Remembering the doll, the girl took it out and stared at it. Eventually, the Princess smiled warmly, feeling comforted. Placing the doll in front of her sight, Brigid snuggled with Dracaena before falling to sleep followed by her familiar shortly after.

* * *

Six months later, the war was getting worse. The Daemon Evokers were losing because the enemy had the help of a witch. They were being push back, closer and closer to Solwood. Nuada gritted his teeth as many dragon slayers are desperately trying to kill him by harming his dragon with their lances. He has been so focus on the war, he rarely visited his daughter or saw her. At night, when both sides have retreated from the battle to rest, the Dragon Prince made a declaration.

He asked for the Daemon Evokers to leave and find a new place to start anew. Many have protested, their loyalty lies with him.

"Please!" he pleaded. "The King's main target is me! I don't want my subjects to suffer losses because of this battle!"

Some of the Evokers left to spread the news back at home. Once words were out, some of the families left, albeit, hesitantly. Only a few stubbornly remained by their Prince's side despite his reasoning. Though Solwood was nearly abandoned, a couple of the guards stayed to protect Princess Wanda and little Princess Brigid.

And so, the war continues. Unfortunately, King Henryk's soldiers are getting closer and closer to the magical realm. Amongst the war, dragon slayers would attack, aiming solely at Solais. Though the mighty beast has protected himself by breathing out fire, he didn't get away with a clean slate. Soldiers would throw their lances at the dragon, wounding the Daemon gravely. That same wound was shared with his Evoker. For just a few minutes later, Nuada began coughing up blood as he place a hand over the side of his waist.

"Your Highness!" an Evoker exclaimed, rushing to aid his Prince.

"I'm fine." Nuada tried to assured.

"No. You are not fine!" the Evoker insisted. "Call off Solais! We can take care of this!"

"No, my friend. Without Solais' flame, your Daemon and the others won't survive this war."

Taichleach, having been injured, was forced to return home. Not only does he has to heal, he needed to report back to Princess Wanda. Before he had left for the war, he made a promise with his mortal friend.

 _"Please, Taichleach. With this war, I haven't seen Nuada in months. Brigid has started missing her father." Wanda explained. "If you have to retreat, report all the news to me."_

 _"Are you sure you might want to hear the news? It might not be what you hoped."_

 _"Even if the news is bad, it shall satisfy my curiosity. Now only that, but I can prepare for my daughter's unknown future."_

 _"Very well. It may take a few days when I return, but I try to bear good news instead of bad ones."_

* * *

Back at Solwood, it has been many days. Wanda hasn't heard from her husband or anyone who knew him. Although she was aware that Nuada can't die so easily, she does know how a connection between an Evoker and their Daemon works. She has heard about the dragon slayers from the letters Nuada would send her... And that only made her worry. She would wait day and night, hoping for any news about her husband's condition. Sadly, the sky on that day was a sad shade of vermilion red as if it soaked in the blood and fire of war.

"Princess Wanda!" Taichleach exclaimed, bursting in the Dragon Fort, injured.

"Taichleach, are there any reports on my husband?" Wanda questioned.

"Pr... " the Lynx Evoker huffed. "Prince Nuada has been seriously wounded in battle!"

"W-What?"

However, none of them had time to talk or think because of the sound of matching footsteps followed by cries of agony. Immediately, a small group of humans have breached the forest of Solwood. A few of the guards screamed as soldiers attacked them, innocent civilians came running out of their homes after their houses caught on fire. Alarmed, Wanda knew that she and her daughter needs to evacuate.

"Princess, we must leave!" Taichleach told her. "It isn't safe here!"

Wanda was desperately searching for her diary that she didn't have time to talk back. Already, she can hear the soldiers coming. Quickly writing about her dilemma, her worries over her husband's fate, and the future she plans for Brigid, the Princess hide the diary before running around the fort, searching for her daughter.

"Brigid! Brigid! Where are you?!" she called out worriedly.

She cannot find her! Where was she?! Eventually, Taichleach assured her that he'll find the child, but not before convincing Wanda to escape from the Dragon Fort. Through a secret passageway that only the Daemon Evoker King and his loyal servants knew, the Princess will be able to escape to a safe area in Solwood, away from the war. There will be Evokers waiting for her on the other side. They shall help her get through the maze and out of Solwood. Despite she insisted in finding her daughter, the Evoker told her otherwise. So, the woman begrudgingly agreed as she steps into the secret passageway.

When she got outside, however, she found an unsettling scene. On the ground were many shades of red. How was that possible? This area was supposed to be safe! Why are there bodies of Grak soldiers and Daemon Evokers littering the ground?

 _'Someone must have known about this passageway and alerted King Henryk's men to find it.'_ she thought.

Understanding that this area was no longer safe for her to linger in, the Princess continued onward. As she walked, she can hear soldiers' footsteps getting louder.

"I think I just saw someone! Must be another Daemon Evoker!" one cried out.

"Hurry! Before they escape!" another instructed.

Alarmed, Wanda quickly ran and hid herself in the maze, wandering every corners and paths to avoid them. Eventually, she can hear the men's voices getting louder, so she stopped. They must be on the other side of the hedge that separates them. The Grak soldiers sounded very annoyed, having expressed it in their tone.

"****! They've got away!" the first one cursed.

"They can't have gotten far. Let's hurry!" his companion advised.

Once they moved on and their footsteps got fainter, Wanda continued wandering around the maze, hoping to get far before they could find her. However, without the Daemon Evokers' help, she cannot navigate her way out of the maze.

* * *

Back at the Grak Kingdom, the Royal Advisor was mediating in her room. After studying many books in the Alchemy Library, she needed to relieve herself from tension. Glowing a greenish aura, the witch closed her eyes as she began to see visions. Years ago, she foresaw the events that has yet to come, including this war. However, the visions would appear fragmented, so she didn't know how it happen. She just know that it will happen. After all, there is so much the future can tell. Even if she did know, what would be the point? All actions are because of Fate. Anyway... Now, however, some of the visions became clear.

As she mediated, a new vision briefly flashed in her mind. Seeing an image of Princess Brigid, Cailleach smiled.

 _'So... This little girl is the key to the destruction of the world? I must get her to the Grak Kingdom, but...'_

Opening her eyes, Cailleach got up to grab something from her lab. It was a wooden puppet attached to some strings. Setting the puppet up, Cailleach started to play its strings. In order to get the Dragon Princess, her mother has to go. Manipulating the war from afar, she first guided Wanda out of the maze, leading her back to Solwood.

Now, she has to plan for an "accident" to happen. Moving the puppet, she began her plans. The one who shall succumbed to her spell is a blood-thirsty Grak soldier. Controlling him, many acts of killing occurred.

* * *

As Wanda was forced to take a different path, she eventually found an exit. However, she was very worried along the way. All the other passageways were suddenly sealed off. The moment she tried to take a different path, something would block it. So, she always ended up taking the second option. Exiting from the maze, Wanda became distraught to find herself back at Solwood. However, that was the least of her problems. She was worried because of one thing.

In the midst of the war, a soldier was killing many Daemon Evokers. Guard or civilian, they were mercilessly slaughter. It was a horrendous sight that the Princess didn't want to see. Blood spewed into the ground, fallen corpses thud at the scene, screams of terror escapes from small mouths, embers scattered around, evil laughter and glee filled the air. It was like a chorus was being sung by the dead, Daemon Evokers and humans alike. A stage set for a massacre. It was something that left Wanda completely petrified.

Suddenly, one of the soldiers who have impaled a defenseless Evoker turned his gaze at Wanda. Terror is clearly in her eyes. She couldn't move. Unfortunately, because Wanda was in the clan's clothes, she was mistakenly believed to be an Evoker. Before she could plead for mercy, it was already too late.

A sword impaled her flesh. It happened so fast that blood quickly stained her clothes bright red. She only confirmed it herself after coughing up warm red liquid as it escapes her lips, trailing to her chin and dripping onto the ground. Very soon, Wanda fell backwards after receiving a fatal blow. Fatal, but it didn't guarantee a quick death. In retaliation, the soldier was immediately back stabbed by another Evoker.

"Princess Wanda!" she exclaimed.

Trying to stop the human woman from losing so much blood, she summoned her Daemon who can heal. Flying in the water was her Daemon, a dolphin. It squealed as it started the healing process.

Elsewhere in Solwood, Brigid was hiding underneath a house. She was on her way to the Dragon Fort after picking flowers when a battle suddenly commence. The sight of enemies and allies dying was something she didn't expect to witness. She was scared. Unfortunately, the house she was under started to caught on fire. Coughing from the smoke, Brigid knew that she can't stay underneath the house for long. When the fighting seemed to ceased and the coast was clear, the girl ran out of her hiding spot, trying to find her mother.

However, a Grak soldier stood in her way, stopping her with the tip of his sword at her throat. The child stood frighten as the soldier raised his sword. Brigid shut her eyes, expecting for the blade to slash across her. Suddenly, the man screamed by the sound of a flesh and armor tearing. Opening her eyes, she quietly watched as the soldier fall, revealing Taichleach from behind.

"Come, Princess!" the guard reached out his hand.

Taking his hand, the guard scoop the girl up and broke into a run. He has to take her to Wanda. Sadly, by the time they did, they were shocked to see Wanda lying on the ground in a pool of blood.

"Mother?" a whimper escaped her lips.

"Aquarius!" Taichleach called out. "What happened?!"

"She was stabbed and her body is losing lots of blood." Aquarius tried to remain calm for the sake of the child.

"Mother!" Brigid cried.

After the Lynx Evoker set her down, she ran to her mother, crying. However, Wanda didn't speak no matter how much she pleaded. Whether it's because she didn't want to speak to her or wanted to save her breath, the woman didn't utter a word... Not even a sound. At the sight of her mother on the verge of death, the poor girl fainted from shock. Carrying the little Princess in his arms again, Taichleach turned to the Dolphin Evoker. The healing process clearly wasn't working. It was only delaying the inevitable.

Suddenly, their attention was diverted toward a human soldier. They became tense, knowing well that they can't fight while looking after two royals at the same time. However, this soldier didn't looked like he was trying to harm them. Instead, he watched them for a while until a word escapes from his helmet.

"Wanda?"

At the sound of his familiar voice, Wanda muster enough strength to open her eyes. Removing his helmet was King Henryk. His smile turned into a frown as he rushed over to his beloved's side. The two Evokers moved aside. They didn't trust the man who started this war in the first place, but he doesn't seem in the fighting spirit at the moment. Falling onto his knees, he watched as Wanda is close to death. The warmth in her body was slowly leaving.

"King Henryk... Please, have mercy. Take Brigid with you and raise her as if she was your own daughter." Wanda begged.

"Princess, are you sure? He's the enemy." Aquarius shot a quick glare at the King.

"No. He isn't my enemy. He's a friend." she strained. "Please... It's all I can do to give my daughter her best chance. Grant my dying request..."

Henryk just couldn't refused her wish. Although the girl inherit her father's eerie powers, she was also the daughter of his beloved. Holding her hand, he cried. All of this could have been prevented if he hadn't started this war. Had he known this would happen, he'd rather chose Wanda's happiness over her death. But what's done is done. There's no going back. All he can do is honor her wish.

Feeling assured, the Princess slowly closed her eyes as a small smile form on her face. She can finally be at ease. Slowly, her arm lost the strength and lifelessly fall, hitting the ground. Standing back onto his feet, the King turn towards Taichleach. The guard hesitantly place the little Dragon Princess in his arms. He still doesn't trust Henryk, but he does believe in Wanda's words.

Seeing the unconscious girl in his arms, the King covered the child with a green cloak. Once he believed that her appearance was covered, the King took the little Princess away from Solwood. With Aquarius' help, he took a secret path that will shield him from the war and leads him straight back to his kingdom. As he tread in the forest back to the Grak Kingdom, Brigid stirred a bit. Slowly, her eyes fluttered open to see the King for a brief moment before she fell back to sleep again.

Exiting the Forest of No Return, the soldiers who were guarding the Grak Kingdom cheered for him, glad that he was alive. When they questioned about the girl in his arms, Henryk claimed that she was a prisoner of the clan. His answer was blunt and short. The guards didn't question their King, so they believed him. One of them offered to take the child to a room, but Henryk insisted in doing it himself.

"Spread out the news to the others at the battlefield. The war has ended."

"Did you have any success in finding Princess Wanda?"

"I did found her... But she's gone." Henryk answered. "She told me to protect her."

"Then that girl is..."

"She's her daughter." he muttered. "With Wanda gone, there's no more need to fight. I did what I had to do. Call the force to retreat."

"Right away, Your Majesty!"

Once the guards entered Solwood to pass out the news and were completely out of sight, Henryk went to the Grak Palace with Brigid.

* * *

In a guest room, the King of the Grak Kingdom gently place the sleeping girl on a bed. Taking out a chair, he sat down and studied the child. She bear a great resemblance to her mother. He just sat in his seat, staring at the girl. He can't, after all, just leave her in this room by herself. So he waited for her to wake up.

Eventually, Brigid stirred and woke up. Letting out a small yawn, the girl rubbed her tired eyes. Opening her eyelids, she looked up at the King curiously. The King gasped. She even have the same bright green eyes as her. The girl only tilt her head innocently in response before looking around her surroundings in confusion and more curiosity. With a small frown, Brigid turned her attention back at Henryk. She just stared at him for a few seconds before finally speaking.

"Who are you?" she questioned in a small voice.

The King let out a sigh. It appears that the child had no recollection of the war, not that he was complaining. He was glad that she has no memories of the event. No child should remember something awful like that.

"I'm King Henryk, your father." the man calmly respond.

"My father...?"

He did notice a small look of confusion on the girl's face. Did she still have faint memories of Nuada? He knew that the Dragon Prince have fought in the war, but must have some involvement in the child's life prior to the event. Although, the King does hoped that through time, Brigid won't remember her real father. The Princess glanced around her shoulders. Her surrounding just felt... Off. Perhaps she still have some recollection of the war and it bothered her. Whatever the reason, she was feeling uneasy.

Taking a breath, Henryk asked, "Brigid, do you... Remember what happened?"

"What happened...?" Brigid thought hard until she gasped.

Blood on the ground, bodies were everywhere. Fire destroyed homes, the smoke was intoxicating. The last thing she can remember was her mother dying on the ground. Taking her mind out of the terrible memories, Brigid felt her body trembling badly. Whimpering, she tried to take a breath before answering the King's question.

"I... I remember." she answered in a quiet quivering voice. "I remember seeing Mother dying..."

Tears started to form. Seeing the child in this state tore at Henryk. He had regretted asking that question. He watched as she cried and cried. Eventually, she started to hyperventilate, breathing in an accelerating rate. However, the girl let out a gasp when the King suddenly embraced her.

Stroking the back of her head to assure comfort, the man declared, "Don't be sad. I can't stand to see you like this. Everything will be okay."

Calming down a bit, the little Dragon Princess hiccuped, "M-Mm..."

"I promise, I will protect you, Brigid." King Henryk assured.

Sensing that his words were genuine, a warm smile spread on the Princess' face as she rest her head against her father's chest. The tender moment lasted for a few minutes until he gently parted from her, wiping the tears from her eyes. Needing to do something with the clothes she has on, he ordered the servants to bring the child royal garments to wear.

* * *

At the battle, the Daemon Evokers were greatly wounded. But for some great miracle, the humans were retreating. Have they surrender? Have their King come with a reasonable decision to end this useless war? Though it was strange, the Evokers didn't complain and took the time to return home to recuperate. Slowly, however, Nuada was helped by his fellow subjects. He attempts to smile, though it was strained. Through Solais, the Dragon Prince had been wounded severely.

Despite his injuries, Nuada still felt that something was wrong. The war had continued for nearly four years and six months. Why now did it stop? Returning to Solwood, the remaining group of Daemon Evokers crowded their Prince's sight. Words were being whispered, but no one spoke to him. Eventually, Nuada gathered enough strength to pushed his way through. What he saw left him baffled.

 _'No, no, no, no, no! This cannot be!'_

A few feet away from him... Was his beloved Wanda, dead. Despite she was dead, she looked like she was sleeping. With their Prince discovering his wife's death, all of the Daemon Evokers left to give him some time alone. He appreciate that, but he didn't think about them for too long. Slowly walking, his legs felt like lead. As he walked, his body became numbed. Falling on his knees, Nuada hold his deceased wife in his arms, sitting her up.

"Wanda?" he called out. No response. "Wanda! Please, open up your eyes!"

He pleaded and pleaded, but nothing happened. Memories started to flooded back in, but not of the recent events. He thought of all the times when he met with Wanda back when she would take her moonlit walks.

* * *

 _During their second encounter, Wanda and Nuada would take a stroll together before sitting down on that small hill to talk about their lives. Nuada would mention about his dilemma of marrying someone to help his clan. He didn't divulged anything about the prophecy and covered it up by claiming that his father wishes to know that he can rule with a worthy wife by his side._

 _"You seem to dislike that." she noted._

 _"I never wanted to marry for my family's sake." Nuada told her. "I know I'm being selfish."_

 _"You're not being selfish at all!" Wanda insisted. "If you don't want to marry out of your father's expectations, what do you want?"_

 _"I have another story to tell you." the Dragon Prince answered. "There was a tale that involved two lovers. They loved each other so much that when they died, they turned into butterflies and fly away together in pairs. Rather than marrying to satisfy my father's expectations, I'd rather marry for love."_

 _Nodding, the Princess mused, "I can understand your problem."_

 _Taking her turn, the mortal woman started talking about her boring life. Being pressured into becoming a proper lady, she expressed her unhappiness. All the lessons she had to take and culture she has to learn. The maiden didn't like them. From experience, she had seen her own father making decisions that wasn't his choice to make. She just wanted to be herself._

 _"But you'll be Queen one day." Nuada replied._

 _"I never wanted to be Queen." Wanda respond with a sad smile._

 _Looking at her in the eyes, the Dragon Prince questioned, "Then what do you want to be?"_

 _"Hm... See that tiny nightingale over there? There was a story about her. The Emperor of China once imprisoned her for her songs. As she sang day and night, the little bird grew to missed her forest. Back then, she used to fly freely, flying wherever she wanted. I want to fly freely as well."_

 _"Instead of being Queen, you'd rather have freedom?"_

 _"Yes."_

 _"I may not be able to give you the freedom you want, but..." he leaned in to kissed her on her forehead. "I can give you a little bit of love because... I feel like I'm starting to fall for you."_

 _She smiled, "Me too."_

* * *

"AHHHHHH! WANDA!" he cried and screamed in anguished.

He was gone for so long during the war that his last memory of her began to fade. Staying like that for a while, he didn't move from his grief until he heard his people calling for him.

Gently placing his wife down, Nuada had to make sure his daughter was okay. He searched frantically for Brigid along with other Daemon Evokers, but she was nowhere to be found. That's when he heard from one of the Evokers that there was a mortal man who broke into Solwood. He appears to be carrying something, but he didn't look like any of the soldiers. At the realization that it was the Grak King who stole his daughter, anger started to boil inside. He has done nothing to offend the King. And yet, he keeps on taking the people he loves the most.

The war, which the King started, killed his wife. And now... He mocks him by taking Brigid!

The Dragon Prince seethed, swearing to take his daughter back. With so much causalities from the war, Nuada has instructed for the remaining clan members to leave. It all started between him and the King. And now, he is going to finished that business. The remaining members agree, but only after they pay respect to Wanda that they'll leave. The Daemon Evoker Prince agreed.

Back at the Dragon Fort, Nuada had ordered the servant girl to change his wife's blood stained clothes for a fresh one. While the servant was busy making the preparation, Nuada and the other Daemon Evokers worked hard on making her coffin. It was a simple bronze colored box with some jewels encrust on it. Traditionally, Daemon Evokers don't have graves when they die, but Wanda wasn't an Evoker. She deserved to have a better resting place than the ground. At night, the mood was as sad as the rain falling. Torches were the only light as the Daemon Evokers made a path from the Dragon Fort to the Stone Sanctuary.

In the Master Bedroom, Nuada stared sadly at his wife. She was lying on bed, dressed in white with hints of green. She just looked so peaceful. Carrying his wife in his arms, the Dragon Prince gently put her in her coffin.

Caressing her cheek, Nuada whispered, "Don't worry, Wanda. I know what you tried to do. You wanted to secure Brigid's future, so you had King Henryk take her. But without you or her, I feel like I'm going to go mad."

He insisted on taking his daughter back. She was the only one who is giving him the reason to live now. Giving his wife a kiss on her forehead, Nuada slowly closed the lid before the coffin was being taken by some of the helpers. Traveling from the Dragon Fort to the Stone Sanctuary, the coffin was buried underground with a similar box on the surface. A golden cross was place as the head tomb. It continued to rain that Nuada began to get soaked. He was so sad, he didn't bother to used his powers to evaporate the water upon contact on him.

Many Daemon Evokers gave their condolences and place bouquet of flowers on Wanda's grave. Slowly, one by one, each member started to leave until it was only Nuada who remained.

Once more, he began to think of that story between a snake woman and a mortal man. The human eventually died of old age while the White Snake Demon lives on, trapped in that tower of hers. Just like him, he was trapped. Trapped in a life where he loses people he loved. But one thing was for sure.

He will take his daughter back!

* * *

 **1) I know the soldiers never did reach Solwood the first time, but I couldn't think of any other way to explain how the Daemon Evokers fought with them if they haven't came close to the realm.**

 **2) Being a big manipulator the way she is, how can the Royal Advisor not contribute to the war?**

 **3) Though the game never mentioned if Brigid was presence during the war, I'd assumed she must be near for Henryk to get her.**

 **4) The two fairytales mentioned was of the Butterfly Lovers and The Nightingale.**

 **So what did you think? Please leave your review down below and I'll see you next time!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Who would have thought that this chapter would give me problems? The third chapter isn't about three sisters. It about the Royal Advisor's three tries in making her creations. Unfortunately, there isn't much for her to do other than making dolls or mediating, so this chapter would have been shorter than the others had I not focus on another character. Overall, this chapter is probably my least favorite. Luckily, this is the first and last chapter that will be centered around the Royal Advisor. Enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 3: Third Time's a Charm

At the Grak Kingdom, in her own room that the King had given her, Cailleach was performing a spell - a spell that is a combination of alchemy and magic. It has been exactly three days since the war between the Grak Kingdom and Solwood ended. Oddly enough, King Henryk had consulted with her, wishing for a set of guards to protect the little treasure he had taken in the midst of the war. Of course, from a first glance, the Royal Advisor could easily tell that the girl didn't belong to the King. She was from the same clan and her blood has a demonic taint to it. Yet, King Henryk worried about the child's safety, so she made sure to ease his worries.

 _"I will create for you the perfect guards - loyal, obedient, powerful, and with the ability to heal themselves."_

 _"Very well. So long they can protect Brigid, you have all access to the resources my kingdom could provide."_

 _"You shall not be disappointed once I present you the most loyal servants."_

The fool agreed, desperately wanting to keep his daughter safe. Ha! Little does he know, this was only the first step. One day, he'll turn to her for help again... And so, his debt to her will only grow and grow. But first, the guards must be created before she can use that forbidden spell... One she made specifically for the Princess. In the little lab of hers, she continued to experiment on many combinations of magic and alchemy to use. The two heart gems she will be using are mercury and sulfur... To complement the soon to be Salt Princess' powers. The doll of mercury will control water and the doll of sulfur will control fire.

There were many reasons for using these two alchemy symbols as well as changing the Princess' powers into salt. After many years of studying alchemy, the Royal Advisor had planned everything and it may have influence her into using the material she had. At the very least, she can think of the top three reasons for the use of the alchemy trinity.

First... Sulfur embodies the soul, it controls the emotions and desires. Salt represent the body. Mercury epitomized the spirit, the middle between the soul and the body... It controls the imagination, moral judgment, and the higher mental faculties. Hence why the fire doll will be as emotional as any human being and the water doll will be intelligent.

Second... In a planetary system point of view, mercury is based from the planet of the same name. Sulfur would be Venus, the second planet of the solar system. Its environment is completely unlivable, full of sulfuric clouds. Of course, salt represent Earth, bringing life to people and animal alike. There has been stories that Venus and Earth are considered sisters, making Mercury the odd one in the group.

Third... The sulfur heart gem will make the doll impulsive, representing id. Despite the mercury heart gem can ensure good moral judgment, the water doll would only symbolize the ego. Salt is the more complex substance than both mercury and sulfur. Plus, the Royal Advisor can see that the girl will soon grow up more wise than her dolls. The Princess is the embodiment of superego.

Honestly, if asking for her opinion, she wishes she could create two dolls of mercury. Simply because sulfur would only create an emotional doll, but mercury can guarantee a doll who is calm and rational.

 _'The mercury servant will be just like me.'_ Cailleach thought gleefully.

Sadly, however, she can't. Two dolls of the same heart cannot coexist with the other. They would only conflict with the other. Therefore, only one sulfur and one mercury servants can be made.

Many of her first attempts into creating the magical servants with all those requirements she promised only ended in failure. The first that was created was the water doll. Before the Royal Advisor could add the skin to make its appearance more appealing, the doll was quick to disobeyed her. The doll was basically a skeleton with no clothes, skin, or hair... Just a heap of skeletal structure.

The failed servant was immediately subdued and destroyed by her creator. The problem was the heart gem didn't have a lot of mercury in it, hence why the creation was disobedient. The fire doll also ended in failure, but not from the same reason as the water doll. Unlike the water doll, the fire doll had the skin and brown hair applied. It only had a sheet for cover. After some time, the doll opened its eyes and sat up to see its creator.

"How are you feeling?" Cailleach asked.

The first prototype didn't talk. It seemed to understand what its master was asking, but not a single word was uttered. Instead, it let out a low rasp, pointing to its chest.

 _'How curious...'_ the Royal Advisor thought as she grabbed the servant's hand and pulled out a knife.

Without warning, she stabbed the doll's hand with excessive force to get through the porcelain. In response, the fire doll hissed angrily. Taking the knife out, Cailleach stared at the wound that marked the hand. She waited and waited, but nothing happened. After several minutes have passed, the Royal Advisor sighed. The doll cannot heal itself.

"Hm... You're as good as dead."

"Hiss...?"

"Such a shame. As soon as you awaken to the light, I'm afraid I'll have to send you back to the darkness." the Royal Advisor respond. "You'll be seeing your abomination of a sister soon... Once you've reunited in hell."

Without regrets or any signs of remorse, the witch destroyed the fire doll without hesitation. Sighing, the witch grew frustrated at another failure. Luckily, she knows what the problem was. There wasn't enough magic in its heart. Therefore, it couldn't heal itself, making it completely useless and more or less human. In the end, it had to be destroyed.

Yes, "it". She doesn't consider her creations as humans. They're dolls, merely servants who serves only her. Therefore, they are referred as "it".

Needing to take a break and figure out how to approach this, the Royal Advisor retire to her room to mediate. After all, she can't afford to rush through things. There would be limit amounts of supplies. Mediating did good for her. In fact, it was how she learns the secrets of immortality. Though modern day methods in obtaining the status has strenuous steps, simply mediating was a more tolerable way.

As she mediate, she saw a familiar vision. The image of the green lion devouring the sun. Despite the war on the Daemon Evokers clan have come to pass, she still wanted Solwood to be destroyed. They cast her out of her home. So, she shall erased that home for all Daemon Evokers. A smile appeared on her face. She knows exactly what her vision means. In the ancient days of alchemy, the green lion represents mercury and the sun is sulfur. Solwood shall taste her wraith of vengeance on the day mercury devours sulfur or gold - when her water doll overtake her fire doll.

Opening her eyes, Cailleach smiled. Finishing with mediating, the Royal Advisor relaxed herself before exiting her room.

* * *

Walking around the Grak Kingdom, Cailleach was taking in the scenery. So much nature. Turning around the corner, the Royal Advisor stopped to see the Dragon - no! Now that Brigid is in the Grak Kingdom, she is the Salt Princess. Or rather, she will be.

Having stayed in the Grak Kingdom for three days, she surely didn't have a problem with adjusting to its inhabitants. As the little Salt Princess, the girl has on more royal garments than the traditional clothing the Daemon Evokers clan had in Solwood. She wears a bell sleeved, green dress with a green overskirt on top of the first maroon layer with gold at the center. There were many white trims detailing the dress with some having pink ribbons sown. Her hair was tied into a side ponytail and there was an English Ivy flower on the left side of her hair which is accompanied with a gold tiara on her head.

The girl was on a swing, letting out a playful laugh as King Henryk pushed her gently. She was simply enjoying herself. Eventually, the girl got up and ran, frolicking in the Flower Meadow. Just as the King was about to follow to ensure that nothing happens to the child, he stopped to see Cailleach.

Smiling, she steps out of her hiding place, "It seems that the Princess has grown used to your kingdom. You must have made a large lie to make her feel so assured, claiming to be her biological father."

Keeping a low voice, Henryk questioned, "What are you doing here? Aren't you creating the magical guards you've promised?"

Cailleach studied King Henryk. The King didn't look very well. The color on his face looked drained and he seemed not to be getting enough sleep lately. However, there was some spark in his eyes... As if someone was keeping him away from his guilt and sins... As if there was hope for him.

"These things take time. You should understand that more than anyone." the Royal Advisor replied. "You seem very fond of the girl."

"How can I not? She is the child of my betrothed."

"Former betrothed." she corrected. "And are you sure it's just that reasoning?"

"No... But, ever since she came into my life, it's as if she really is my child."

"If you've grown so attached to her, then I don't see the reason why you wanted guards around her... Besides to protect the Princess, of course." Cailleach mocked.

"Look, I can't always be there for Brigid with my duties as King. I need those servants you've promised me."

"You looked nervous." the old woman noted. "Afraid of seeing the Dragon Prince's fury?"

"You!"

Cailleach laughed as she turned away, "I'm just teasing, loosing up a bit. But... One day, you'll have to face him, sooner or later."

As King Henryk went after the Princess, the Royal Advisor went her way. Continuing her walk around the kingdom, the witch started to think back about her life. The reason why she has been this patient and tolerant was because she wanted to savor the world's defeat. No one shall crossed her ever again. When that day come, she will leave this world and take refuge in the next. That way, she'll be able to witness the destruction of this world while staying alive also.

As she continued to wander around the kingdom, she started to think about her past... That day when she barged into the Throne Room of the Forest Kingdom.

 _"How dare you?!" she spat at the Forest King and Queen. "I gave you an heir to the throne and all I asked was a tiny thing and this is how you REPAY me?! I have work hard on that potion, using up all my time for your sake, asking to be invited to the ceremony, and in return, get nothing at all?!"_

 _"Please, Wise Woman, hear us out. We-"_

 _"No! You listen to me! You two promised me and yet you broken it and you dare call yourself royals?! A promise made is a promise done! And here you are being so prideful and full of dignity, when you should be filled with shame for your thoughtlessness, arrogance, and ignorance! You two aren't fit to rule the kingdom nor does your son! As a matter of fact, as punishment for your unwelcoming nature..." the witch threatened. "This shall teach you a lesson for your ungratefulness!"_

 _"What are you going to do?!" the Forest Queen demanded._

 _"Since you two didn't keep your words... Neither shall I!" she exclaimed as place a curse on the young Prince, turning him into an animal._

 _As the people gasped, she left, laughing spitefully. At that time, she will admit, she felt a satisfying feeling. She had no regrets. Revenge felt good... It was the best medicine! After cursing a human Prince, that's when she felt the desire to take her revenge against the Daemon Evokers who banished her. Their home, Solwood, will be destroyed. After all, she had centuries to plan out every single detail. All she need... Is to make her desire become reality._

 _'I will get my revenge. On both Solwood and the outside world. After that, I shall leave to another world that is best for me.'_ Cailleach thought. _'But in order to do that... I need to finish creating my dolls.'_

* * *

Returning to her lab, the Royal Advisor began to create another set of dolls. Unfortunately, the results were just like the previous set. Although... She did have success in adding the porcelain skin and finished making the dolls' appearance more human. By the time the dolls awaken, Cailleach waited patiently to see the results.

The first to awaken was the fire doll - just as she had expected. The fire doll has long red hair like flames. She was wearing a vivid burgundy long sleeved dress with the skirt being ruffled, ripped black stockings and dark slippers. However, before Cailleach could even approached her creation, the servant lashed out at her.

It screeched, already jumping off the table and pouncing at its creator. Pushed onto the ground, the witch stayed calmly as she could, thinking of a way to subdued another of her failed creations. Grabbing her staff, she was able to blocked the doll from getting too close to her. It screeched more, trying to reached the Royal Advisor with its sharp nails. Looking down to see the faint yellow glow embedded in the doll's chest had given her an idea. She has to get the sulfur gem away to deactivate the overly aggressive servant. There was just too much concentration of the material. That's why this doll was being too aggressive. At the attempt, however, the doll let out another horrifying screech, raising an arm over its head before moving it down. With its long nails, the doll managed to land a cut on the side of its creator's face.

"Tch! How futile." the Royal Advisor muttered.

With all her force, she pushed the doll so far that it hits a wall. The thing collapsed, but still was conscious, letting out weak whimpers. Using her staff, the old woman used magic to levitate the doll into the air. It struggled and cried, squirming around as if it was being bind tightly. The pressure was enough to make cracks appeared on its skin. It cried out loud, looking at its master with pleading black eyes and red pupils. Having enough of the pathetic scene in front of her, the witch let go completely, letting the failure hit the ground hard. At the sound of a thud, she was sure she also heard the cracking of porcelain.

 _CRUNCH_

 _'Oh well, no matter.'_ she thought. _'A failure just like the first.'_

Moving onto the second water doll, the Royal Advisor hoped that this time, it would not end up a failure like all the others. The servant had a graceful appearance of a teenage girl, having shoulder length blonde hair with two long strands at the back. Its side swept bangs partially covered its eyelids. The doll was wearing a royal sapphire blue dress with the skirt being ruffled and yellow accents over a white blouse. It was also wearing black stockings and doll-like blue slippers.

Eventually, the water doll opened its eyes. Sitting up, it moved unsteadily. It wasn't long until the Royal Advisor was quick to feeling disappointment. The doll didn't act like a human like she wanted it to. It had no communication of speech nor can it behave like one. No, this isn't good at all. Anyone can clearly tell that the behavior isn't human. Sighing, Cailleach easily subdued another failure, pushing it against the wall. It fall as cracks appeared on its face and joints. Looking up, the doll's eyes became black, retaining its blue pupils. Eventually, the doll slips to unconsciousness.

The water doll had an excess amount of mercury in its heart. Hence why it was unstable and a tad aggressive, despite being more passive. Remembering the wound she had received when she had to deal with her sulfur servant, Cailleach used magic to heal the injuries on her face. Looking back at the failed dolls, she sighed.

Oh well... It was back to the drawing board.

* * *

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the Grak Palace, King Henryk grew more concern. After he caught up with Brigid to the Flower Meadow, he stayed with her for as long as he could. Eventually, he had to return to the kingdom with the child. Though the Princess was a bit disappointed, she understand that her father has his duties and return with him to the Grak Kingdom. Luckily, she spend some time in the Royal Garden upon returning home, which had a variety of flowers. Upon seeing that the girl won't be going anywhere, the King left for the Throne Room where he reflects.

Although Brigid had no problems living with him, a few people have began to question about the girl living in the palace. Rumors have been spread. Eventually, he'll have to present the girl to the court as the Princess of the Grak Kingdom. But will anyone believe him? They've obviously never seen her before. Even if he backed his story, claiming Brigid as his biological daughter with Princess Wanda before she was taken, people might not buy such a sketchy tale. There were too many holes in the idea.

Plus, what if they wanted proof? How was he going to give them proof?

The King sighed, completely stressed over the thought running rampage in his mind. Tired, the young King decided to retire to his room earlier than normal. But before he could...

"Father!"

Henryk turned around, seeing his daughter running towards him with a smile on her face. Seeing her smile caused a smile of his own to grace his face.

"Hello, my little Princess. And what brings you here?" the King knelt down to get to her level.

Giggling, Brigid showed him a clover in her cupped hands, "Look, Father! I've found a seven leaf clover."

"I see." Henryk smiled.

"Father, I want you to have it." Brigid gave him the clover.

Staring at the plant in his hands, the King looked at his daughter, "Why me, if I might ask?"

"I've heard it from someone once that seven leaf clovers are very rare and whoever has one is considered lucky." Brigid explained. "Each leaf is suppose to represent something important."

"Hope, faith, love, luck, wealth, fame, and longevity." Henryk recited.

Nodding in agreement, the child continued, "Ever since you saved me from the bad people, I want to give you this to express my gratitude. I want the charm to protect you, not just as your duties as King, but my father as well."

Touched by the girl's words, Henryk's smile grew. She really is the light of hope... His hope. However, he sorta felt bad for lying to her, claiming that Brigid's mother was captured by "bad people" while she was pregnant with her. After many years, he saved the child after the "bad people" killed her mother. He wondered... If he had told her the truth, would she still look at him with those kind eyes of hers? Or would she turn away, not wanting to look at him anymore?

Patting the child on her hand affectionately, the King chuckled, "Thank you, Brigid. I'm grateful at your words."

Seeing that nightfall has arrived, the King had escorted his daughter to her room for the night before returning to his own room. Once in his room, Henryk stared at the clover fondly, having been reminded of his daughter's kindness. Placing the plant in a protective box, the King retired to his bedroom for a good night's sleep.

* * *

Finally, after more experiments, she created the perfect set of dolls. By the time she found the perfect combination of alchemy and magic, it was already nighttime. Everyone is the palace must have gone to sleep. Everyone, except her. The witch was busy with her creations. She had no time for sleep. At the moment, she already had given them their porcelain skin. Two large separate white sheets were over their bodies from their feet to their chest with only their sleeping faces uncovered. All they need now is their heart gem. Taking out the mercury and sulfur cores, she stares at the material for a while, frowning. The gems were different from the others... As if it contained a sleeping soul inside.

 _Many years ago, after wandering around in the forest, she found two gems buried beneath some dirt on a rainy night. They glowed gold and blue very brightly. It wasn't long until the gems were quickly under her possession. Unlike all the other cores, however, these two gems in particular have souls imbued in them._

And they are waiting to awake.

For a while, she had wondered how two souls were contained in these gems, but the curiosity didn't last long. As long as it doesn't affect with the results, she couldn't give a care about it.

Slowly, the Royal Advisor place the two hearts at the center of her dolls' chest. The sulfur servant's body started to glow a warm red color while the body of the mercury servant glowed icy blue. They haven't waken up yet, which was reasonable. It will take time. Exiting her lab, Cailleach locked the door. She will need to find the appropriate clothes for her dolls to wear, especially clothes that will cover their heart gems. She won't make the same mistake of exposing their hearts like she did with the second set.

Taking inspiration from the alchemy trinity, she know what each of her dolls will wear. Sulfur represent men or masculinity. Therefore, it shall reflect on the fire doll's personal taste in clothing. Mercury is the opposite, representing femininity. The water doll will wear clothes that are more lady-like.

Eventually, she returns with the clothes her dolls will need. As she waits for the dolls to wake, the Royal Advisor had a thought of her servants pestering her mind. The fire doll will be a failure. It isn't even a fact, she knows that it's a failure from the start. Her heart gem will make her emotional and emotions can get in the way of everything. As for the water doll... She shall be the perfect one. However, an extra precautionary action must take place.

 _'I can't afford any chances of it disobeying me... Especially like all the other failed mercury servants.'_ Cailleach thought.

If the water doll were to have any thoughts of betraying its master, via experiencing human emotions or letting itself overcome with love - even the slightest impulse that goes against its duties - then it shall experience a chilling pain in its chest. The pain will dull its love and replaced them with orders that are meant to be obeyed. If a doll disobeys, then the core heart will simply "delete" such emotions and "guide" the doll to do as she says. Simple as that.

Sadly for the fire doll, the Royal Advisor didn't expect for it to listen. A failure before it was even created. Just like any failed creations... They are discarded of... Like useless defective goods. In her eyes, the fire doll is just a wandering mistake. A good for nothing who only exists because it had to, not because it want to. Regardless, it was still a magical servant.

"I suppose there is some use for it." Cailleach muttered.

With these two servants, the witch can now begin her curse on the Princess' Daemon - a curse made specifically for her and her only. To dispel the curse, both of her servants have to be destroyed. The first gem will seal the Daemon while the second one keep the curse intact. Therefore... If one heart gem is destroyed, the curse still remains, but the Daemon Evoker can still summon his or her Daemon's true form. It is until the second heart gem is destroyed that the curse is truly lifted.

 _'It'll soon be time...'_ the Royal Advisor reminded herself as she exited her lab, sealing her sleeping dolls inside.

In her room, the old woman took out a scroll that was hidden away. Unrolling the black paper was a dagger made out of salt, exactly the same one on the scroll. Taking the dagger in her hands, the Royal Advisor looked at it as the crystallized substance gleam from the reflective moonlight.

* * *

 **Apparently, seven leaf clovers are very rare, but some people are very lucky to find one. I had it in there for more father daughter bonding. I hope you enjoy this chapter. What do you think? Leave a review below. Uh oh, if we just finished the creations of the dolls, you know what's going to happen next :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Um... There is going to be some cursing, unfortunately. But the station calls for it. Plus, it's not from the characters that were already introduced. You're going to be surprise seeing who it is in the first part. I have nothing else to say, so enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 4: Forbidden Arts of Magic

At the end of the week, seven days after the war with the Daemon Evokers clan, things have become peaceful. It both brought worry and ease to King Henryk. He felt assured that his kingdom will be peaceful, but at the same time, he was worried that Nuada will try to attack his kingdom after finding out that his daughter was stolen. Shaking the worries off his mind, the King tried to think of something more pleasant.

His thoughts drifted to Brigid - for the little girl was the light of his life. She was the hope that kept him away from the shadows of his past sins. However, he felt like in exchanged, he was throwing her into the dark, away from the truth.

 _'It's for the best... I'm doing this to protect her.'_ the King tried to assured himself.

On a brand new day of a brand new week, the twenty five year old King was talking a stroll when he saw the little Salt Princess summoning her Daemon. At the sight of the dragon, Henryk became troubled. He has the right to be worried because of the events that happened next.

"Hey!" a voice shouted.

Henryk looked up just as Brigid turned around to see a man, startled at his sudden outburst. The man in question was about nineteen years of age. He has dark brown hair and brown eyes. He was wearing a button down shirt, simple slacks, and has a cap on his head.

Upon seeing the little dragon flying nearby the Princess, the man started running towards the child. He was running in an animalistic manner... As if he plans on attacking her.

"Aah!" the girl screamed as her Daemon disappeared.

Luckily, King Henryk rushed to the scene in time, pulling his daughter aside as he orders his guards to restrain the man. Two of his men came immediately, grabbing that attacker and holding him down. The man struggled, trying to break free from the guards' grip, but it was useless. He growled, screamed, and cursed. His behavior completely terrified the girl in the King's arms, especially when he was leering specifically at her.

"Grr! Let me go! LET ME GO!" he yelled, thrashing around.

"Brigid, are you okay?" King Henryk questioned. The frightened Princess didn't respond, only giving a small nod. "Okay, let's go. Alright?"

Quickly ushering his daughter away, Henryk hoped to keep her away from wandering eyes. Surely others have heard the commotion and was wondering what was going on. As he takes her to her room, he ordered the guards to detain the man in the dungeons, warning them to keep on eye on the stranger.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" the guards replied as they dragged the man away.

Once in the safety of her room, Henryk gently place his daughter down on her bed. The girl was quiet during the entire scene, not a single word escaped her lips. He wonders if it was because of that man. He was going towards her after he saw her Daemon.

Kneeling down, the King started to questioned, "Brigid, do you know that dragon?"

The girl tilted her head, puzzled by the question, "Yes, her name is Dracaena."

"Tell me, what is Dracaena to you?" Henryk asked in an urgent, but gentle tone.

"Dracaena is my friend, but... I feel like she is a part of me too." the child meekly answered in an innocent way.

"Brigid, listen to me. Whatever happens, you can't summon Dracaena. The people in this kingdom might mistake her as a threat and that will put you in danger." the King explained. "Promise me that you won't summon her, okay?"

"Okay..." the Salt Princess complies, yet she was sadden.

"I'm going to deal with that man. Until then, please stay in your room." Henryk ordered as he closed the door.

Taking out the key to the Princess' bedroom, King Henryk was about to insert it, but hesitate. Once more, he felt that familiarity. It was just almost the same like last time. Nearly five years ago... That day when he couldn't let go of Wanda or let her love get stolen from another. Five years ago... When he locked her in her own bedroom.

 _"Do not worry, my love. No one will harm you in my kingdom. I will organize more guards for you. The Prince will not get away with this declaration of war."_

Was he also going to treat his daughter just like what he did with Wanda? By locking her up? Was it possible for him to commit the same mistakes over and over again? After a few minutes of consideration passed, the King decided to leave the door unlock. Closed, but unlocked.

* * *

Making his way to the Underground Dungeons, King Henryk was accompanied by a guard. From the dark, it was hard to navigate in the hallways without a few torches lighting up the way. Finally, they've reached the cell of the attacker. Approaching the cell, the King was startled when the man suddenly grabbing the bars and growling like an untamed animal.

"Let me go!" he demanded. "LET ME GO!"

Addressing to the guards, the King asked, "Have you find out who this man is?"

"Yes, Your Majesty." they answered. "This man turns out to be an outlaw. He goes by the name Rach Neumann, the third. Apparently, he comes from the Neumann Family, a family of thieves and bandits. The family has a tradition for every first born sons to be name Rach. All sons inherits the family name."

"Hmm, interesting. And why would a Neumann step foot into my kingdom?" Henryk addressed the outlaw.

"Oh, cut the bull****!" Rach spat.

"Watch your language in the presence of our King!"

"I couldn't give a **** if he's a King or not."

"Why you-" the guard was about to pull out his sword.

"It's alright. Leave us."

"But Sire..."

"Leave us."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Once the guards left, the King interrogate the man, demanding for answers. Having nothing else to do, the outlaw complies. Rach explained that he came to the Grak Kingdom, having heard that the kingdom's wealth was on salt. He told the King that he had initially planned to steal all the salt in this kingdom and when he does, people will be needing salt. He would return with all the salt and get paid with a lot of gold and money.

"If that's so, then why did you tried to attack Brigid?!"

"Oh, well... When I have seen the Princess with her tiny familiar, I just know I have to attack her because she is a Daemon Evoker!"

"I won't let that happen and I already did. You're locked up in here."

"Oh, we'll see about that, _Your Majesty_." Rach mocked. "When I find a way out, I'm going to reveal the Princess' identity to everyone in this kingdom. Once they finish hurting your daughter, they'll denounce you as King for letting a Daemon Evoker living with them."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Oh, I wouldn't? You've got some nerve to start that war, endangering many of your men against the Daemon Evokers, only to bring one home. Think about all those families who've lost their sons, husbands, fiances... All because of you. Once they find out the truth, I bet your sweet little daughter will become the ***** she is!"

"Guards!" King Henryk hollered.

"Yes, Your Majesty?"

"I have enough, take this man and lock him in the deeper parts of the dungeon. Leave him there. He can only be released if summoned by me."

"Yes, Sire!"

As the King turned away from the scene, he had to think of a way to get rid of the outlaw. Immediately, the thought of execution crosses his mind. After all, the criminal confesses what he initially planned to do. As King, he can charged him of attempted theft and deceit. However, the kingdom had already been through enough with the war. With an execution like this, it might only create more trouble. Suddenly, another thought came into his mind. Was there a way to erase what he saw?

* * *

In the lab, Cailleach was still waiting for her servants to awake. It has been four days since they've were created and yet, nothing. Just as the Royal Advisor was about to leave, she heard the sounds of moaning. Turning around, she smiled as the sisters started to stir. Both of their eyes fluttered open as they slowly sat up. Neither of them said anything, looking dazed and confused.

"You've awaken." the Royal Advisor spoke. The sisters looked at their creator, neither said anything. "Over there is a set of clothes. You'll need to wear them."

Again, the sisters didn't respond, only giving a small nod. Wrapping the sheets around their bodies for cover, the dolls walked over to the table. They grabbed their respective clothes and went to change. As the witch waited, she heard a knock coming from her room's door. Instructing on her dolls to wait until she retains, the old woman exited her lab.

Opening the door, she saw King Henryk on the other side. He was in a slight state of panic. It was very visible on his face.

"Royal Advisor." he started.

"Your Majesty, to what I own the pleasure for you to visit me in my humble room?" Cailleach asked.

"I need your help." the King admit.

"Come in, come in." the woman gestures, letting the King inside.

Urging him to take a seat, the Royal Advisor began to make tea. While she prepares the drink, she urged the King to tell her the problem. King Henryk explained what happened in the morning - about his dilemma. A man threatens to reveal Brigid's identity as a Daemon Evoker. As he said that, the old woman stopped from pouring the tea, frowning. Oh, this isn't good. That cannot happen. It will ruined her plans. She needs the Salt Princess to be out of danger... For now, until she reached the right age. Putting the cups and teapot on a tray, Cailleach carried the drink to the King.

"Can you help me?" Henryk questioned.

"You want a way to get rid of this... Outlaw, by making him forget what he saw?"

"Yes."

"Do not worry yourself, Your Majesty. I'm skilled at making many potions. I'm sure I'll be able to craft a forgetting spell to solve your dilemma." she assured.

"Thank you."

Now that he was indebted to her, she will now take her chance. Taking a sip of her tea and placing the cup down, she cleared her throat.

"Um, Your Majesty, in order to prevent such a troublesome problem from occurring again, why don't you let me have a look at the young Princess?"

"What will that accomplished?"

"Daemon Evokers summon their Daemons at will. It's instinct. No matter what, your Princess can never not try and attempt to summon her Daemon. If I can have a look at her, I might find a way to... Help the child."

"Very well. You have my permission to check up on Brigid."

Cailleach graciously complies, explaining that she'll visit the Princess in her room in about... Five minutes. With nothing else to talk about, the King got up and excuses himself out. At the sound of the door closing, the Royal Advisor stared at his untouched cup of tea. Did he find the tea unpleasant? Whatever. Returning to the lab, she has already found her dolls dressed up. Still, they were quiet and looked at her with dazed eyes. At the sight of their master, however, they started to kneel on one of their knees with their right arms diagonally across to their left shoulders.

"Rise." she ordered as the sisters did as they were told. "I have business elsewhere. Wait here for further instructions. If that understood?"

"Yes, Master." the sisters replied, giving a single nod as the Royal Advisor left the door.

* * *

Opening the door to Brigid's room, the witch quickly used her magic on the girl from behind to put her to sleep. As she falls, Cailleach burst in to catch her in time. Putting the child on her bed, the old woman sat on a nearby chair to start her examination. Pricking the child's finger with a needle, the Royal Advisor collected droplets of the Princess' blood in a vial before spilling it on a magic parchment. The paper test how much magic a Daemon Evoker has and it can tell what their Daemon is. The blood started to form an image - a dragon. But it wasn't finished yet. In the background of the parchment, the blood started to form plant life - ivy leaves.

 _'So... This girl has very strong magical powers. I can see why she is the key to the world's destruction.'_ the Royal Advisor thought happily.

Getting up, the Royal Advisor left the room, using her magic to close the door. Returning to her own room, the witch put her parchment on the table, grabbing for a fresh piece of paper and an inked feather pen. Immediately, she starting writing a note to the King.

Your Majesty, King Henryk

I have examined the little Salt Princess at  
your request. Her magical gift is innate,  
but her bloodline holds a demonic taint.

With your permission, I may be able to change  
the Princess's magic into something less  
demonic before the Princess is introduced to  
your court.

Ever at your service,  
Your most humble servant,  
The Royal Advisor

After finishing her note, she let one of the guards to send the message to the King. She would do it herself, but she has other things to attend to... Like preparing that forgetting potion and forbidden spell. Of course, she already have the requirements for the forbidden spell. All she needs to do now... Is to create that forgetting potion.

It took a while, especially getting the ingredients, but when dusk arrived, she finally finished it. Just as she put some of the potion in the vial, she heard a knock. Opening the door, she was surprised again to see King Henryk.

"Have you gotten everything ready? I'm really worried for Brigid." the King explained.

"What's on your mind that is so troublesome, Your Majesty?"

"Even if the outlaw is dealt with, I'm worried that the people might hurt her if heritage as a half blood Daemon Evoker is ever revealed. They might not even spare a child of that clan. All I'm doing is delaying the inevitable!"

"Relax, Your Majesty. Everything will be settled." Cailleach advised.

After taking a deep breath, the King dug into his pockets and pulled out the note she had sent to him.

"I've got your note." the man showed her the letter. "What do you suggest in changing my daughter's powers?"

Inviting him in, Cailleach began to explained her plans. She will change the Grak Princess' Daemon into tiny flying pests with the power of salinization. Salt comes from earth and it shall be the girl's new power. When the King didn't understand the reasoning of the idea, the witch had to elaborate.

"Salt is the lifeblood of your country. It can also ward off evil. Your people will see your daughter as a blessing."

Understanding the situation and benefits of this idea, King Henryk agreed. Once the Royal Advisor have gathered her things, they left to find Princess Brigid. When the King questioned if the spell will be performed in his daughter's room, the witch denies. She explained that the spell should be done someplace else. Doing the spell in her room would be... Inconvenient. She instructed the King to get his daughter and to meet with her in the living room.

* * *

It was already late in the night. Everyone mostly have gone to sleep. Once King Henryk arrived with his sleeping daughter in his arms, the Royal Advisor used her magic to seal the room of any noises, making it sound proof. Brigid was in her royal nightgown, her hair isn't in a ponytail. After the King set Brigid gently on a couch, he turned his attention onto the Royal Advisor.

"What magic did you cast just now?" he questioned.

"Ah... Well, you see... The spell to change the Princess' Daemon, it will be a strenuous process for the poor child. The spell I just cast around the room will ensure that nobody outside the area will be able to hear what's going on in here." Cailleach explained.

"Strenuous process? Is the spell going to hurt Brigid? Will she be going through pain?"

"It'll only be for a short time. The spell won't last long." the witch assured.

"If you say so..." the King trailed off, feeling unsure.

Everything else was set. The dolls are ready and with their heart gems, the Princess' Daemon will morphed once the curse is cast. The only way to remove the curse fully is to destroy the heart gems along with the dolls, which she won't let happen anytime soon.

The spell began as a complex looking magic circle appeared below the Royal Advisor. It glowed an eerie green color. The circle has two rings and a triangle inside. Starting from the inside out, there is a planetary symbol of the Sun and Moon. It was at the center of Cailleach's frog symbol... Which has a Celtic look to it. Surrounding the frog is the triangle, each of the three points have a small circle with the alchemy symbol for salt, mercury, and sulfur inside of it. At the points is the second outer ring. Inside are the remaining planetary symbols for the nine planets, three symbols equally spread out on the left, right, and bottom side between the triangle and circle. The outermost ring has all twelve zodiac symbols.

The magic circle continued to glowed while two of the alchemy symbols, sulfur and mercury, were glowing in their respective colors. Smiling, Cailleach began her chant.

Αυτή η κατάρα θα φέρω, μολυσμένη μαύρη και γεμάτη κακόβουλη πρόθεση  
Απαγορευμένη ξόρκι που ρίχνω, ευτυχώς προκαλώ πόνο στους άλλους είτε αμαρτωλοί είτε αθώοι  
Έρχονται οι σκοτεινές ώρες  
Ο ήλιος φράσσεται από το φεγγάρι, ρίχνοντας σκιές στη Γη.  
Η ζωή έχει εγκαταλειφθεί και ο Θάνατος είναι ευπρόσδεκτος,  
Η αγάπη αποδυναμώνει την ψυχή ενώ το μίσος το αναφλέγει!  
Κλείστε την αληθινή ψυχή του εαυτού σας, σφραγίστε τις πολύτιμες αναμνήσεις.  
Αφήστε το αλάτι να διατηρήσει την ισορροπία μεταξύ θείου και υδραργύρου, γιατί σας προσφέρω ως θυσία.  
Με τις τρεις φυσικές ενσάρκωσεις, θα έρθει μια νέα εποχή!

Αδειάστε την αλήθεια του παρελθόντος,  
Αφήστε το μέλλον να πραγματοποιηθεί ως μέρος των σκληρών σχεδίων της μοίρας;  
Καλύψτε την αλήθεια με περισσότερα ψέματα  
Αλλάξτε τον Daemon σε Salt Dragonflies.

Αυτή η κατάρα θα νιώσετε  
Μπορεί ένα κομμάτι της ψυχής σου να αλλάξει σε αυτό που έψαξα  
Μόλις ξεκινήσει η τελετή και φτάσετε στη σωστή ηλικία,  
Η ψυχή σου είναι αυτό που θα θυσιάσει  
Η κούραση θα εξαπλωθεί, εξασθενίζοντας το σώμα σας  
Οι ανεξέλεγκτες δυνάμεις φέρνουν στο μυαλό σας συναισθηματικό κίνδυνο  
Οι υπάλληλοί μου να διαπράξουν την πράξη, καθώς η αγάπη τους προκαλεί το θάνατό σου  
Αν παραμείνουν ζωντανοί, αφήστε το μυαλό τους να γεμίσει με σκέψεις λύπης!  
Έτσι, η κατάρα μου έχει πεταχτεί, τελικά μπορώ να ξεκουραστώ.

Back in the lab, the two dolls began to felt a strange feeling in their chest. Their heart gems were resonating with the curse, glowing brightly as ever. The sisters felt intense searing pain. It was just coming from their chest, but their head hurts. They grabbed onto anything to steady their balance. The pain was excruciating and everything in their heads felt like it was spinning.

"Ahhhhhhh!" the water doll cried as she starting to feel dizzy. "Ahhhhnn!"

"Wha... Argh!" the fire doll screamed. "Ahh...!"

The sisters were writhing and moaning, clutching their chests and heads. They were breathing heavily. The pain was too much that the sisters eventually collapsed right on the spot.

As the circle brightens, Brigid's body started to glow a soft green light. Suddenly, the cries of her Daemon can be heard as the spell forced the girl to summoned her soul animal against her will. Secretly smiling, the witch took out the salt dagger hidden away in her sleeves and embedded the blade on the baby dragon's back. The Princess suddenly opened her eyes, having felt that pain. Her eyes widen at the sight of her Daemon being injured, but before she could even do anything, she immediately closed her eyes and started to let out an agonizing scream.

"Aaaaaaaaah!"

The light her body radiates started to intensify as she cried out. Both Brigid and Dracaena continued to cry and scream as the curse was affecting them. It was so heart wrenching for the King to see his daughter in so much pain. She keeps on turning her head wildly and wrapping her arms around herself. It hurts. It felt like her body was being torn into pieces. And if she doesn't hold herself together, she felt like she was just going to break. Unable to just stand and watch, Henryk rushed to his daughter and hold her tightly in his arms as she cried.

"When is this spell over?!" he questioned.

"Very soon. She'll have to endure it for a little while longer." the Royal Advisor spoke calmly.

Henryk looked as his daughter, hoping that she could bear the pain for a few more minutes. Her cheeks were turning red and tears were in the brim of her eyes, threatening to fall. She was becoming paler and paler, more than normal. On the magic circle, the salt symbol was faintly glowing a light green color. Eventually, it was gleaming more frequently, becoming brighter and brighter until it finally shines as brightly as the other alchemy symbols.

Soon, the light changed from green to whitish blue. Slowly, Dracaena was disappearing. The spell was over as the magic circle disappeared. Breathing out a sigh from the intense spell, the girl's breathing began to steady a little bit. Her body felt numbed, completely exhausted, as her arms fell limply to her sides. Panting, she could barely lift her eyelids and keep them from closing. The last thing she saw was Dracaena vanishing before white dragonflies appeared, taking her place, and disappearing shortly after... All before she started to fall into unconsciousness.

"What will happen now?" Henryk asked.

Of course the Royal Advisor knew, but this was the first time she performed such a forbidden spell on an Evoker like her.

Stepping forward, the Royal Advisor explained, "Changing her soul animal is like changing a part of her soul. Or rather, its more like putting her Daemon and a piece of her soul into deep sleep."

"A piece of her soul?"

"The piece of her soul that resides in her memories. By now, the process must be affecting her memories before she came to the Grak Kingdom. By the time she wakes, there's no doubt that her past memories concerning her life living with the Daemon Evokers will be sealed off."

King Henryk looked at his daughter again. She was still breathing shallowly and her cheeks were still red. When he pressed his forehead against hers, he can feel heat. She was developing a fever.

Looking up to the Royal Advisor, he continued, "What's going to happen to her now?"

"The spell I used was the only one out there. The Princess' body isn't used to this spell. In fact, all Daemon Evokers aren't used to a spell that can change their Daemons. It not only affect their memories, but their bodies since they share a link, both spiritually and physically." the witch admits. "Luckily, the Princess is young. She should be fine when she wakes up. Had you asked me for help in the future on this matter, the spell might have been too much for her maturing body."

"I see..." the King trailed off.

Although he hated that the spell has hurt his daughter, at least the worse part is gone... At least she can be safe now.

"You should move her to the bedroom. The Princess have become weak from the strenuous process. It's best for her to wake in an area she is familiar with." the Royal Advisor advised.

Giving a nod of agreement, King Henryk carried his daughter in his arms, taking the girl out of the living room. Once they've reached her bedroom, he put the child in bed and tucked her in, hoping that her fever will go down in the morning. Returning to the Royal Advisor in the living room, he began the next order of business.

"And what of the guards you've promise?"

"Ah... Wait here, Your Majesty. I'll be right back." the Royal Advisor replied.

Returning to her lab, Cailleach went to retrieved her dolls. They have just awaken from their pain and immediately got on their feet. Following their creator, they were introduce to the King.

"Your Majesty." they bowed their heads, placing their right arms diagonally across their left shoulders.

King Henryk studied the guards carefully.

The guard on the right has long reddish brown hair and brown eyes. She wore a stripped red and gold shirt with a sweetheart neckline, laced with golden strings in the front, grey trousers, and black boots. She also wore a black cape with grey trim and detached red cuffs around her wrists. On her head was a black and grey hat that leans to the right side.

The guard on the left has long blonde hair styled in a half up half down and light blue eyes. She wore a light blue dress with some being shades of darker blue. The bishop sleeves are white and on her feet are light blue shoes. She has on a gold circlet across her forehead and detached white cuffs around her wrists.

The King gave an approving nod, but noticed the sisters' nails. They are long and sharp, almost like claws, and colored in a shade of pink. It was hard not to notice them since it's right there. Nevertheless, they will be the guards who will protect his daughter.

"From this day forward, you are the Royal Guards of the Grak Kingdom. Your duties are to protect my daughter, Princess Brigid." Henryk ordered.

"Yes, Your Majesty." they complied.

"Good. The Princess is in her room. Please watch over her and protect her from harm. You are to obey any commands she gives you." he gave them his final order before dismissing them.

Again, the sisters obeyed and went to do their job. When they left the living room, it was just Henryk and Cailleach. Reaching into her pocket, the Royal Advisor pulled out a vial with purple liquid inside.

"You will need this for your little outlaw." she told him before leaving.

* * *

Alone with the potion, King Henryk had summon one of his guards and ordered him to bring the outlaw into the dining room. Of course, he complies. A few minutes later, the guard came back with Rach Neumann in tow. Unfortunately for the criminal, he wasn't making things easy.

"Leave us." the King command.

"Yes, Sire." the guard obeyed, leaving Henryk alone with the lowly man.

"Have you come to your senses, _Your Majesty_?" Rach mocked. "What's with the generosity?"

Henryk said nothing and instead, pour a cup of wine for the man. He had already dumped the potion inside when the guard was dragging him into the room. Walking over to the man, he gave him a drink.

"I hope this will make amends... And perhaps, you won't spill my daughter's secret?"

"Heh, you think a cup of wine will keep my mouth shut? As if, but thanks for the drink." Rach replied as he snatched the cup and gulped down on the liquid.

"Now, you see... No one is going to believe you. And even if they did, you can't tell them something important if you can't even remember it." the King commented.

Rach eyes widen as he looked at his cup of wine, "Did you put something in this?"

"Guards!"

Stepping into the room, two guards came as Henryk ordered the criminal to be thrown out of his kingdom. Soon, the outlaw will forget what he had witness this morning. Even with the main problem gone, the King won't let the man stay for he still consider the outlaw as a threat to the safety of his daughter. So, the criminal was banished from his kingdom. Rach shout and yelled, cursing at Henryk as he was being dragged out of the room.

The King paid the outlaw no mind. Instead, he stared at the window as the criminal's scream started to fade away. He will keep his promise and protect Brigid.

 _'No one shall harm her as long as I live.'_

In her lab, the Royal Advisor has some "cleaning up" to do. With her current dolls perfectly created, she now has to disposed the other failures. Using her magic, she dumped the bodies into coffins and sealed them from getting out. With a wave of her hand, she teleported the coffins out of her lab and into the Chapel underneath the Courtyard. Only one of the coffin will be move to the Waterway - the failed sulfur servant who was too aggressive. Hopefully, they will disappear through time and she won't have to bother with such failed creations.

Meanwhile, the sisters have finally arrived at Brigid's room. The water doll stood outside of the door while the fire doll went into the Princess' room. Communication wasn't used. The sisters were suppose to stood on the sides of the girl's room. Instead, the older sister decided to go in. However, because neither of the sisters were talking, there wasn't any protest to suggest otherwise. As the sulfur servant went in, she saw the girl in bed.

The elder Royal Guard had a dull expression on her face, but there was a hint of interest and curiosity in her eyes at the sight of the child. Seeing the girl feverishly moaning in her sleep, the fire doll step closer, being as quiet as she can. Raising her hand, the Royal Guard felt the temperature of the Princess' body raising.

 _'She doesn't seem to be sick... Is her body overheating?'_ the guard wonders.

She doesn't understand why, but she has a feeling that human bodies cannot tolerant that sort of heat. So, she manipulated the body temperature, lowering it down to a cooler state. Eventually, Brigid started to smile as the redness in her cheeks turned to a shade of pink. Although the Royal Guard didn't show any physical expression, she did felt a warm happy feeling in her chest.

Leaving the girl to her peaceful sleep, the fire doll went outside to join her sister. They will stand there over the night, never talking, never sleeping. After all... As dolls, there is no such things as sleep or dreams.

* * *

 **1) Wow, what a surprise, right? Who knew Rach Neumann would be appearing?**

 **2) I feel like Brigid never interact with the Royal Advisor, so I tried to keep their interactions to a minimum.**

 **3) During the Salt Enchantment Ceremony, my eyes were glued onto that magic circle below Mercy's feet. I've seen a lot of them in anime, but I wonder if that magic circle in particular was related to alchemy? So, I wanted to attempt to visualized what the Royal Advisor's look like. The frog symbol was inspired from one of the pop up notes that talks about the Frog Family. If you actually want to see the magic circle, just go to my profile page in the Dark Parables Wiki.**

 **4) If the Royal Advisor did actually cast a spell, I'd assume she would use a different language so King Henryk wouldn't understand the meaning of the curse.**

 **5) Here is the translation of the spell. It was in Greek. I could have put the translation in, but I wouldn't want anyone to get confused reading it:**

 **This curse I shall bring, tainted black and full of malicious intent**  
 **Forbidden spell I cast, I gladly bring pain to others be they sinner or innocent**  
 **Dark times arrive**  
 **The sun is blocked by the moon, casting shadows onto Earth.**  
 **Life is forsaken and Death [Thanatos] is welcomed,**  
 **Love weakens the soul while hate ignites it!**  
 **Lock the true soul of oneself, seal away precious memories.**  
 **Allow salt to maintain balance between sulfur and mercury, for I offer you as sacrifice.**  
 **With the three physical embodiment, a new era will come!**

 **Empty out the truth of the past,**  
 **Allow the future to carry out as part of the cruel designs of Fate [Moira];**  
 **Cover the truth with more lies**  
 **Change one's Daemon into Salt Dragonflies.**

 **This curse you shall feel**  
 **May a fragment of your soul change into what I sought!**  
 **Once the ceremony starts and you arrived of right age,**  
 **Your soul is what will be sacrifice**  
 **Fatigue shall spread, weakening your body**  
 **Uncontrolled powers bring emotionally distress to your mind**  
 **May my servants commit the act as their love cause your death**  
 **Should they shall remain alive, let their minds filled with thoughts of regret!**  
 **Thus, my curse have been cast, I can finally rest.**

 **6) I'd assume that Mercy and Serafina would have felt something when the Royal Advisor used their heart gems to cast her curse on Dracaena. Plus, they are special, having souls in their heart gems in this story.**

 **7) I will tell you, both Mercy and Serafina will greet and bow to someone differently than the other person. Full on kneeling is showing their loyalty to the Royal Advisor, the typical master and servant relationship. A similar fashion while standing up, yet still bowing their heads is showing respect to the King. They will have their own... I guess signature greeting once they fully acquainted themselves with Brigid.**

 **Well, what do you think? Please let my know in the reviews!**


	5. Chapter 5

**I don't think I have anything to say. So enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 5: Days of Bonding

As dawn arrive, the beams of sunlight reached through a small opening that the curtains failed to cover. Through that small beam of light, the room started to brighten as the sun rise higher and higher. Eventually, the light was so strong that the Salt Princess woke up. Sitting up slowly, she felt a bit dazed... Different. She couldn't even remember what she was thinking and every time she tried to think of the past, her head hurts very much.

 _'Why can't I remember...? Her name?'_ she wonders. _'Her name starts with D...'_

Nothing... Just a blur.

Sighing, Brigid was considering asking her father about her headaches when the door to her bedroom opened. Glancing to the exit, she saw two young women stepping in. After getting close enough, the Royal Guards stopped. The guard on the right bowed, putting her right arm horizontally across her abdomen with her right leg draw back and her left arm behind her back. It was kinda similar to bowing and scraping. The guard on the left gave a curtsy, bending her knees and bowing her head a little. Once they fully looked directly at the Princess, awaiting for their orders, Brigid just stared at them in confusion. Question marks were popping around her head.

"Who... Are you?" she shyly asked.

"We are your Royal Guards, Princess Brigid." the guard who gave a curtsy answered.

"From now on, we laid down our lives to protect you." the other guard replied.

And so, the day began. The Royal Guards would follow her, but never talked to the girl or attempt to spark a conversation. Even if the sisters did talk, the conversation would always be kept short. However, Brigid was curious of her guards and wished to understand them more. During her stroll to the Royal Garden, she stopped so suddenly that it puzzled the sisters.

"What's the matter, Princess?" the tomboyish guard questioned.

Turning around, Brigid responded, "You know me, but I don't know you. I don't even know your names. May I know... Your names?"

The sisters looked at each other, completely baffled at such a question. They don't have one, so the sisters started questioning on the importance of having a name. When the girl answered that people need to have a name to call them, the sisters shared an uneasy glance. Wondering if the Princess can't call them if they don't have a name... That wouldn't be an ideal situation. However, their creator never given them a name. Luckily, that problem was quickly resolved when both of them decided to pick their own names, using their heart gems as inspiration. The fire doll went first as the oldest and since her heart gem was made out of sulfur...

"I'm Serafina." the guard introduce.

"Sera... fine?" Brigid attempted to say.

"Serafina." the older sister repeated.

"Sera." Brigid spoke.

"You picked a hard name, Serafina." the younger sister somewhat scolded.

"Nyah!" Serafina stuck her tongue out.

"I'm Mercy." the younger sister introduce.

"Mercy." Brigid happily repeated.

Serafina crosses her arms and pouted. Of course, this goes unnoticed by the young Princess who was too excited after knowing her guards' names. Mercy did notice the vexed expression of her older sister and kinda gave Serafina a sly mischievous smile back. The older sister responded back with a small huff, a bit jealous that Brigid was able to pronounce Mercy's name easily on the first try.

After the Princess and the Royal Guards were fully acquainted with the other, they resume from where they left off. Once they've reached the center of the Royal Garden, they sat at the edge of the fountain... Where they get to know more about themselves... And their powers. Mercy manipulated the water of the grand fountain, making tiny water animals before returning them to their original state. Serafina demonstrated her fire powers by simply having a flame in her hands. She wasn't going to full out demonstrate the usage of her powers like Mercy did since fire is more untamed than water.

Nevertheless, Brigid was happy to know more about her guards and got along with them very well. Then again, to the sisters' perspective, Brigid wasn't an unlikable girl. She was sweet, kind, respectful, and humble. Although, part of the reason the sisters felt an attraction towards the Princess could be because of her timid nature. She balance out Serafina's recklessness and Mercy's ability to keep a cool head.

So, the day continued as Brigid showed her guards around, showing them more of the Grak Palace so they are familiar of the place.

* * *

A few days have passed and Brigid has learned a lot about the sisters. Serafina can be a bit impulsive, hot tempered, and easy to become aggressive, but she really have this playful fun loving side of hers despite she tries to deny it. If you were to compare her before to her now, there is a great difference. Then again, she had changed between the morning and the afternoon on that first day, expressing emotions like wild fire.

Mercy haven't exactly changed a bit, but Brigid can see some progress in befriending the Royal Guard. Mercy is highly intelligent, rational, and dependable. However, she has this mysterious side to her that has a tinge of sadness to it. Unlike Serafina, Mercy hides her emotions rather than displaying it on her face... Which makes it harder for Brigid to read her emotions and understand her true feelings. A few times, Brigid have caught Mercy hiding behind her smiles when truly, she is hurting inside. She tends to do that quite often, but Mercy never told her why.

As for the Royal Guards, they learned a lot about Brigid too. Such as she knew how to say their names, but shorten them to show how close they are to her. Serafina was completely joyful, delighted of the nickname the represent a strong bond. However, Mercy wasn't happy. It wasn't about her name, she doesn't mind if Brigid shortens it or not... But, every time she is with Brigid, her heart gem would react.

Happiness, sadness, anger...

She assumed that these are human emotions. However, unlike Serafina's heart gem - which allows her to be more passionate about it - Mercy felt as if her heart was being constricted. Despite she doesn't show it often, being around Brigid makes her happy, but the feeling conflicts with the mechanics of her heart gem. It wasn't long until Mercy realized that she learned a new type of emotion. Envy.

She was a bit envious of her older sister. How Serafina can truly smile with ease or how easily she can be with Brigid, looking as carefree as possible. Though sometimes she, herself, can smile, Mercy understood that most of the time, she is faking her smiles more than genuinely doing it... And it saddens her. She was also frustrated that she can't be with Brigid that often. And yet, there is nothing she can do about it. That's just how she was made. A doll that cannot express a lot of emotions without her heart gem reacting violently to the emotions she felt.

Often she tried to assured Brigid and Serafina that she's fine. Serafina quickly believes it, but it was always Brigid who thought otherwise. She admires that about the Princess, but didn't want to worry her. This has gone on for a while until it wasn't forgotten, but noted by the child. Life goes on just like normal.

On one afternoon... As Brigid and her Royal Guards went to the dining room for lunch, the little Salt Princess noticed that neither Mercy or Serafina sat alongside her... Nor did she ever saw them eat. She has spent most of her time with them that it just felt natural for the sisters to sit with her. But they can't because of their status as guards. As for the food...

"Merce, Sera, aren't you two hungry?" she questioned.

The sisters shared a dubious glance. They know that being dolls, they have no need for food. It was a half benefit, never having to eat or feel the discomfort of hunger or thirst.

"No, Princess." Mercy assured.

"We are your guards. We can't eat." Serafina covered.

"But if you don't eat, you'll starved." Brigid insisted.

"You don't have to worry about us, Princess." Mercy reassured.

However, Brigid was too stubborn and insisted that they have something to eat. When the sisters refused the third time, the Princess sighed, grabbing a plate and filling it with food. She wasn't sure what kind of food Mercy or Serafina liked, so she filled the plate with every dish there is on the table. Sadly, since it was just lunch time, there wasn't much options. Just a plate of dumplings and sweets. Fully aware that as guards, the sisters can't sit with Brigid at the table - which the Princess, herself, secretly thinks is absolutely ridiculous.

Despite she haven't been introduce to the court as the "Princess of the Grak Kingdom", her orders were absolute... Even though they're technically unofficial. Plus, she rarely ordered Mercy and Serafina around since they were more to her than Royal Guards. Still, an order is an order. And if she has to, she will give it. Therefore, she "orders" the sisters to sit since they can't refused her request. Hesitantly, the Royal Guards sat down as the Princess gave them a plate of food in front of them.

"Try it." Brigid ordered.

Again, the sisters looked at each other before staring at the plate in front of them. They never ate before, so they have no idea what food taste like. Of course, Serafina was the first to take the first bite.

"Mmm... It's really good. I like it." Serafina respond, eagerly taking another bite.

Mercy hasn't made any critique. She simply eat the food quietly and processing her thoughts. Honestly, she found human food to taste weird. Sometimes good, sometimes bad, sometimes sweet, sometimes bitter, and sometimes... Salty. It seemed familiar to her... As if she once ate food before and yet, at the same time, it felt very foreign. However, she'll give them a try, eating very little and only times when she has to act like a human.

Once the sisters finished their plates, they resumed with their duties and followed the Princess wherever she goes.

* * *

At night, when it was time for Brigid to sleep, Mercy and Serafina would guard outside her room. Other times, they would simply sat at her bedside, watching and waiting for the girl to awake. On this particular night, the Princess couldn't sleep and have woken up very late. She saw the Royal Guards quietly watching over her and that brought confusion to her mind.

Do the sisters not sleep?

Sitting up, she asked in a quiet voice, "Merce, Sera, aren't you two tired?"

"We aren't tired, Princess." Serafina whispered.

"We can't sleep. We have to guard you, Princess." Mercy answered.

Tilting her head, Brigid sighed dozingly, "Serafina, Mercy... Although I love having both of you around, can you let me sleep?"

The sisters looked at each other before nodding. Despite it wasn't an order, they decided to respect the Princess' privacy and left her alone to sleep. Besides, when someone uses another's full name instead of the nickname, it must be serious.

"Goodnight, Princess." Mercy replied as she was the first to leave.

"Sweet dreams." Serafina wished.

Closing the door, the sisters began to wander around the palace. After all, they don't have rooms for themselves and they wouldn't dare disrupted their master from her sleep. As the moonlight shine through the palace windows, the sisters talked about the Princess. She was a curious thing and she has expressed many emotions. They have learned a lot from her in just a short amount of days.

"To think that we've changed a lot from the day we just met her." Serafina sighed at the reminiscent past.

Mercy smiled a bit, "She's like a little sister we never had."

They grew to love the Princess like their own, however, they wondered what Brigid thinks about them... Especially Serafina. She was curious to know of the Princess' thought on them. Did she felt the same or not? The fire doll really wanted to know. In just five days, they've seen many sides to Brigid. She laughs, cries, worry, dream, hoped... She can get very angry and stubborn sometimes. Other days, she would share her goals and tell the sisters many things. In a way, she was their hope for the Princess made the Royal Guards felt like they were more than mere dolls. They feel like humans. For that, they will always love the girl very much.

Meanwhile, King Henryk was in a room, making sure that any reference of Dracaena were removed from all the paintings. One of the artist has saw the Daemon and painted it next to a painting of Princess Brigid. Luckily, unlike the incident with the outlaw, Rach Neumann, the painter was fond of the Princess and swears his silence. When the King gave his order, the artist covered up the dragon by painting over the creature with white dragonflies.

As Henryk checked very reference, he grew very tired. However, he has to check to make sure. He worries that if Brigid saw any reference of her Daemon's true form, it would trigger her into recalling her past memories. She might even remember Dracaena's name and summoned her Daemon. Even though the Royal Advisor had assured him that the curse won't break unless her servants were destroyed, he cannot afford her to remember. Even if the reference doesn't trigger Brigid's memories, it was a great risk. His people might find out the truth from the painting and that would be very dangerous. Therefore, he continued his long sleepless night.

* * *

In the morning, Nuada has finally arrived at the bolder between the Grak Kingdom and Solwood. It has been a while since he step into the King's kingdom... Almost five years. However, unlike last time, he won't be very generous and use the sleeping mushrooms on the kingdom's inhabitants. He had felt her pain roughly a week ago, but haven't recovered enough strength at that time. Something has happened. Whatever it was, he cannot let his daughter stay in the Grak Kingdom. Today is the day he will reclaim his daughter just like he had promised on his wife's deathbed!

"Let's go, Solais." Nuada summoned his dragon familiar.

Getting on the back of his Daemon, Nuada was taken to the kingdom. As Solais took him there, many of the people noticed the dragon soaring in the sky and started running in fear. On his command, Solais breath out fire and attack. Of course, the Dragon Prince made sure that none of the civilians were harmed. He won't stoop down like what the King's men did to his subjects.

As the fire scorched the ground, panic rises. Eventually, the dragon attacked the Grak Palace. King Henryk had ordered the Royal Guards to keep Brigid from getting outside. He feared that if Brigid saw Nuada, she might either remember him or her father will take her back.

The Royal Guards obeyed, rushing to Brigid's bedroom to make sure she stays there until the crisis is over. In slight panic, the King went to find the Royal Advisor. He needs to find her for help - to find a way to trapped the Prince outside his kingdom. After searching for the witch in every room, he eventually found her in the Waterway. She was tinkering with something, but he doesn't care.

"Royal Advisor, Nuada has arrive! He came in an attempt to reclaim Brigid!" Henryk exclaimed.

"Worry not, my King." Cailleach assured as she turned to face him. "Already taken care of."

"W-What's this?" the King demanded, looking around the room.

"Your Majesty, this is the water circle." she gestures to the device at the center of the room. "With the water and fire circle, I can create the Salt Enchantment Barrier. It's capable of stopping anyone from getting inside."

"This is... This is wonderful news! Nuada will be kept out." Henryk rejoiced.

"However, if people can't get in, the people inside can't get out." Cailleach finished.

"It's fine. Anything to protect my kingdom and keeping Brigid safe." the King replied.

"Very well. I have already set up the fire circle. The water circle has just been activated. The barrier should be up in a short amount of time."

"Right." the King nods as he went out.

As the King left, the Royal Advisor smiled. How foolish was His Majesty? Does he think that she have been doing this all for him? No... All of this is merely preparation. Everything else has been set in place. All the Royal Advisor needs is time. For time is of the utmost essence. Right now, the Salt Enchantment Barrier may have no effects, but once the Princess reached the right age, that's when her real curse will begin.

All she has to do now is wait as patiently as she could. The crone was sure of herself. As long as her curse is cast, she has all the time in the world.

"Such a shame though. I would love to have cast the curse myself and witness the destruction with my very eyes..." Cailleach mused dreamily.

Initially, the Royal Advisor planned to escape this world via another world - one filled with magic. From there, she would watch as her dolls destroy the world, turning everything into salt. Then, her eyes widen as an idea has just come to mind. Maybe she can... Maybe it was even possible. A nasty smile crept on her face. When another opportunity has present itself, she shall take it. However, it won't be the King whom she will be having a conversation with. It will be with one of her servants. Summoning an orb in her hands, the orb showed her an image of Mercy. She... Will be... Perfect.

Leaving the Waterway, King Henryk went to the rooftop on the Tower to see a clear, translucent, protection forming around the Grak Kingdom. As he looked up, he saw Solais trying to breath out fire. However, the barrier shield his kingdom from the fire blast. The barrier was so large that it also pushes Solais and Nuada back. They were almost like little birds in the sky that even King Henryk can't see them from the rooftop.

Meanwhile, as the barrier fully closes, Nuada could see someone standing at the rooftop... Which he correctly assumed to be the King. He glared at the man with a passionate hatred. Through Solais' eyes, the Prince of Daemon Evokers has a better view of the area. It was as if his sight was further magnified that allowed him to see farther despite the large distance. He can see King Henryk's smirk as he claims victory. He was also talking which Nuada used Solais' ears to listen.

"You won't claim Brigid. She is happily living with me now." the King somewhat taunted.

Perhaps the King loves to play keep away and he enjoys taunting the Prince a little. Then again, Nuada knows that King Henryk hasn't raised his daughter for a long time like he has. The King knows little about sacrifice and his mind was still young as ever. Unlike him, Nuada have learn a lot throughout his years. Despite his youth, the Prince was matured mentally. The King, however, was sorta acting like a child to some extent.

 _'I will claimed back my daughter. She is the hope that shall continue to ignite a spark inside me...'_ Nuada thought as he growled.

Solais, having felt his Evoker's anger, roared angrily as he flew in an attempt to find a weak spot in the barrier or an area the barrier might have missed. As Nuada continued his fruitless attempts in getting his daughter back, the Princess was in her room with her guards comforting her.

Despite she didn't know what had happened outside, she was a bit terrified after hearing that loud roar. That was when Mercy and Serafina gave the girl a hug to soothed her frighten mind. It worked as she calmed down a little. They've stayed that way for a while until the chaos seemed to stopped.

"Thank you, Sera, Merce." Brigid gave a small smile.

"Your welcome, Princess." Mercy answered.

"Um... Princess, if you don't mind me asking..." Serafina started.

"Yes?"

The Royal Guard exhaled slowly as she suddenly, yet boldly asked, "What are we to you?"

Brigid closed her eyes, trying to gather her thoughts, "For the past few days, I've been blissfully spending my days with you two. You both make me so happy. Our first day, I didn't want to see you or Merce as my Royal Guards. And... "

"And...?" the older sister urged.

"With Father being busy with his duties as King, I haven't seen him a lot lately. I've grown lonely. That's why when you two suddenly came into my life, I was so eager to learn a lot about you. To me, you aren't my Royal Guards. You're my precious older sisters whom I'll always love and forever cherish in my heart and memories." the Princess smiled endearingly.

Both Serafina and Mercy were shocked and touched to hear such words. Before they could even replied back, however, a servant came rushing in.

"Pardon for my intrusion, but His Majesty needs the Royal Guards. An attack has left the kingdom in flames. Some of the fire has been put out, but we still need help!"

Getting up, the sisters left, but not before bowing in respect for their beloved Princess. Outside the palace, the Royal Guards can see the fire that damaged part of the kingdom. Some of the servants were trying to put out the flame, but the fire was more stronger and powerful. Unfortunately, a few lives were taken indirectly by the attacker because of the fire and fallen debris. The sisters could only help as much as they can.

With their powers, Serafina stops the flames from increasing or spreading while Mercy uses her water powers to douse the fire. Eventually, by nightfall, all the fire were under control. The King was happy for the Royal Guards' work and released them from their work for tonight. With the night to themselves, Serafina and Mercy strolled around the familiar palace's halls. After all, the Princess was asleep and neither of the sisters would dare wake her up. As they walk around, Serafina attempts to spark a conversation with Mercy.

"I didn't think that the Princess thought of us like that... Like sisters."

"Me neither." Mercy agreed. "I guess our feelings are mutual."

"Mercy?" Serafina called out as she stops.

Her younger sister stops and turned around, "Yeah?"

Serafina was considering on asking Mercy if they can maybe disregard their master's wishes, but shook her head instead. Knowing that Mercy was different, she probably needed more time before the question can be asked.

"Never mind, it's nothing."

Mercy gave a slight frown as she turned around. She wasn't sure what Serafina was trying to ask despite she was the most expressive. Personally for her, it would be nice if she could live like a normal human being. However, her life was bound to her master's wishes. That day when she first awakened, the Royal Advisor had instructed her and Serafina to guard Princess Brigid until that... Special day. Her master haven't told her a lot, but she cannot question it.

So, she trend on with her life, waiting. Her loyalty to her master was a burden on her shoulders, constantly reminding her of her unknown mission. Loyalty or love? The Royal Advisor or Brigid? If she wasn't a doll meant to obey every singly order given out to her, she would have made her own choices for herself. She would say that she is human... And she would choose love over loyalty. Alas, she can't.

For a doll's purpose is to serve under their creator's will only. Everything else is just... False reality.

* * *

 **1) Note, originally, I had planed for Brigid to be afraid of Serafina's fire powers because the homes of Solwood were burned. But because the past memories of Brigid are sealed, unless Mercy and Serafina are dead, she won't remember or have a reason to fear fire.**

 **2) I have Brigid shorten Serafina and Mercy's names because I would shorten my friends' names to show how close I am to them... Unless their names were already short.**

 **What did you think of this chapter? Please leave a review, let me know your thoughts.**


	6. Chapter 6

**I'm back! Now normally, I would dumped many excuses on why I haven't been updating recently. Here is the short reason. I have summer classes. Whoo-hoo, don't you just love math classes ruining your fun? I'm so sick of it before it happened. As some of you may have/have not know, I usually punch my stress at DP planning. Especially since TMLP (The Matchgirl's Lost Paradise) will soon arrive and I want my own version to come out around a month later... If everything goes smoothly. With classes scheduled the way they are, I'm not sure how often I'll be updating, but hopefully, I'll finished this story by the end of this month. Enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 6: Soul on Fire

Nearly six months after the war with the Daemon Evokers, the Grak Kingdom has been growing and rebuilding. After Nuada's attack, there were even more reasons to improve the kingdom to resist any possible threats and future attacks. Even though the Salt Enchantment Barrier ensured the safety of his people, King Henryk had insisted to enhance the kingdom's defenses... Plus he believed his palace could use some polishing.

More rooms and hallways were recently added to the Grak Palace such as the Lakefront, the Salon, the Courtyard, the Throne Room, etc. Everything from the Old Throne Room was moved out, leaving the former room empty and bare. The new Throne Room - which is located in the Courtyard - has been more refined, becoming more larger and more exquisite than the old one.

Today is Brigid's fifth birthday. February 1st 1916. She was getting ready for the day, getting dressed up in a fancy green dress. As she puts on a golden locket given to her by her father, a knock can be heard. Giving permission to whomever was on the other side, the door opened to reveal Mercy and Serafina.

"Hi, Merce, Sera." Brigid smiled.

"Princess, are you ready?" Mercy asked.

"It's almost time." Serafina informed.

"I see that you're _almost_ ready." Mercy noted, referring to the girl's bedhead.

Mercy took a hairbrush from the counter and started to brush her little sister's hair. It became a daily routine for one of the sisters to brush the Princess' hair since she was still young to take care of it on her own. After getting rid of the tangles and brushing the blonde locks smooth and silky, Mercy grabbed an emerald green silk ribbon and styling the girl's hair into a side ponytail.

"I wish my hair is long and pretty like yours and Serafina's." the girl pouted.

"Long hair takes responsibility, Princess. You have to take care of it for it's a woman's pride to have long hair." Mercy advised.

Serafina scoffed, "Believed me, I've seen a few girls in town and they all try to measure the length of their hair to see who has the longest."

"Maybe I shouldn't grow my hair then..." the Princess replied, feeling discouraged.

"It doesn't matter, it's your choice on whether or not you have long hair." Serafina chuckled as she patted her little sister on the head. "But... No matter how simple or extravagant you look, you'll always be our little sister."

"There, all done." Mercy respond as she handed the girl a mirror to look.

Smiling, Brigid took her sisters' hands as they exited her room. Today, the introduction of the Salt Princess will take place in the new Throne Room. With new hallways and rooms, the child didn't know where to go. Luckily, Serafina and Mercy were able to navigate their little sister since they have memorized all the paths they've explored many times before... Especially during the times of the construction of the new hallways and rooms.

Meanwhile, King Henryk was in his own room, preparing. Still in his youth, he wears an embroidered rose pink coat with a white Victorian ruffle neckties over a grey, matching beeches, and a blue sash. His side swept, chin-length, pale blonde hair have remained the same. After putting on a jeweled golden crown on his head, the King exited his room.

In the new Throne Room, there was the throne at the center with curtains around it. Portraits of Henryk, himself, and of Wanda... To keep the facade that they are the rulers of the Grak Kingdom. That time when the Royal Advisor changed Brigid's Daemon, it seemed that the witch did more than just that. She manipulated the memories of the people in the entire kingdom, making them believed that Wanda was the Queen of the Grak Kingdom and the wife to King Henryk. The only people who weren't affected by the spell was Cailleach and Henryk. Serafina and Mercy weren't humans, so they weren't affected. And since Brigid was more of a victim and catalyst of the curse, she didn't suffer from the memory manipulation. Instead, she only have her past memories sealed, not changed. Therefore, the portrait of Wanda has the word "Queen" at the bottom.

Anyway... Despite how the room looks, there was actually a lot of space. For this special occasion, there were more chairs near the throne, but on a smaller and less grand scale. On the right of the throne was the Royal Advisor's seat. Further to the right would be where the Royal Guards will sit. On the left was a small chair for Brigid.

Everyone was hidden at the sides - thanks to the curtains - waiting for the King to enter. As she waits for her father, Brigid started to feel anxious. Today is the day she will be acknowledged as the Grak Kingdom's Princess. The thought of many people will be arriving makes her feel flustered. There were many people in the room already, but there were more outside. Sensing her worries, the sisters started to tighten their grip on her hands. She could only return a small grateful smile at them before they left her side to open the door to the Throne Room for their King. Music started playing as King Henryk walked down the red carpet that leads to his throne. The sisters quickly closed the door and rejoined Brigid as the King was walking up to the steps. Once he sat down, the music stops as everyone glued their eyes onto him.

He cleared his throat, "Welcome, my faithful subjects. Today is a very special day, for I have many things to tell you."

The King begin to tell the story about his stolen bride. Many people who haven't heard of the story were shocked. Brigid have heard her father's story before, but that doesn't stop her from feeling a little teary eyed. As her father continued, he talked about the war. That's when the Royal Advisor walked in as cheers followed by claps can be heard. She only return a small wave as a fake smile formed on her face.

 _'Foolish humans. This world is just full of hypocrites.'_ she thought negatively.

"Woo!" the crowd cheered.

"Cailleach, the Royal Advisor of the Grak Kingdom, was responsible for aiding us in the war against the Daemon Evokers. She has help us many times in defending our kingdom, even when we were assaulted by the Prince of the Daemon Evokers."

"It's nice to meet you." she replied sweetly as some applause can be heard as the she took her seat.

"The Royal Guards of the Grak Kingdom, who've dealt with the incident regarding the fire from the attack." King Henryk continued.

The sisters left the Princess' side as they walked to the center of the throne. They bowed as they introduce themselves.

"I'm Serafina."

"And I'm Mercy."

After giving a small demonstration of their powers, they bowed again before taking their seats next to their master. There were louder applause for the guards from the crowd, more so than for the Royal Advisor. Very soon, it was Brigid's turn to introduced herself. However, she was hesitant to step up onto the sight of others. Upon seeing the large crowd of people from the side, the Princess became nervous. She doesn't exactly like crowed places for her preference involved a more quiet area with lesser people. Whenever the attention is focused onto her, she would feel tempted to look down or look away out of shyness.

Glancing over to her sisters nervously, they made eye contact with her. Mercy gave her a reassuring nod while Serafina mouthed that she'll be okay. Once her father had mentioned her name, Brigid breathed calmly before walking up to the center of the room just like everyone else has.

"The Princess of the Grak Kingdom, Princess Brigid!" Henryk exclaimed. Everyone in the crowd cheered loudly until the King raised his hand for silence. "My daughter has a special gift since birth... And I'm sure you'll appreciate her gift."

Immediately, the crowd quiet down as Brigid became confused about herself. Nevertheless, she still have her ability to summon whatever gift her father talked about. It felt natural as white dragonflies appeared. The crowd marveled, many "ooh" and "ahh" filled the room.

So, the Salt Princess decide to have a small demo, having a bunch of dragonflies in a cluster. Summoning one last dragonfly, the girl direct it to the cluster. Colliding with the bunch, the dragonflies exploded as salt started to rain down like confetti. Everyone cheered as they have their hands in the air, reaching out for the salt. Brigid gave a curtsy as the people applaud for the Princess.

* * *

Later that day, after Brigid was introduced as the Princess of the Grak Kingdom, she went to town with her sisters by her side. Many people were cheering for her and thought of it as a blessing to see the Salt Princess. Everyone loved her the moment they heard she can summoned her dragonflies to turn things into salt. Even when the Princess tried to disguised herself, the townspeople can figure out who she is. Then again, a simple green cloak wouldn't suffice.

"Look, it's the Princess!" one of the towns person exclaimed.

A few townspeople gathered around the girl as Mercy and Serafina tried to get through the small crowd. At the sight of the Royal Guards, the people shifted their attention from Brigid onto the sisters, asking them a few harmless questions. What does it feel like to be in the palace? Is their rooms close to where the Princess sleeps? What does their rooms look like?

Most of the questions were directed at Mercy since many of the people assumed that the second Royal Guard was the older sister. Although many times Mercy explained that she is not the older sister, she still got bombarded with so many questions. As the Royal Guards tried to get through, Brigid slipped away from the crowd. Running to hide behind a wall, Brigid tried slowing her breathing. She didn't except everyone to flock to her like bees attracting to a flower.

"It's hard to be loved by many, isn't it?" a voice questioned. Brigid turned her head to see a girl around her age, perhaps a tad younger than her. Too tired to even speak, the Salt Princess simply nodded her head. "Would you like to come over at my house?"

"Mm."

Following the girl away from the distracted people, Brigid seeks refuge in the child's home. It was far different from the palace, but she didn't really mind. It was a very humble place.

"Sorry if my home is a little messy. I didn't really thought ahead." the girl explained. "Oh, sorry. I didn't introduce myself. I'm Fand and it's an honor, Princess Brigid, to have you in my humble home."

Ushering for the Princess to make herself at home, Brigid sat down on a chair as Fand place a stool next to her before sitting on it. The girls converse, questioning the other on what it was like living in their respective home. They questioned on certain lifestyles and pondered on the differences of their life.

"I envy you, Fand." Brigid replied.

"What? Why?" Fand questioned in confusion.

"Because you live in this small town, you get to be with your family."

"Well, yes. That is true, but couldn't I say the same for you?"

Brigid shook her head, "Not always. As King, my father rarely spends time with me like we use to."

"Oh... Well, there is always an opportunity." Fand assured.

"Right." the Princess smiled.

"Princess! Princess where are you?"

"Princess Brigid!"

That was when they heard the voices of the Royal Guards. They were searching for her. Realizing the time, Brigid abruptly got up.

"Oh no, I almost forgot! I have to return to the palace!" she started to fret.

"Why don't you join the Royal Guards outside?" Fand asked.

"But..." Brigid peered through as she opened the door just a little bit. Fand joined her and saw the problem. "How can I when the townspeople are looking for me too? It's very sweet to meet them, but I have to return home or else Father will worry."

"We can go through the backyard." Fand explained as she took the Princess' hand. "Come on, I'll show you the way."

After exiting the backyard, the children continued forward until they take a turn that eventually lead them back to the Town Plaza where Serafina and Mercy were calling out for her.

"Serafina! Mercy!" Brigid exclaimed as the sisters turned around to see her.

"Princess! Where in the world did you run off to?" Mercy somewhat scolded, but it was out of concern.

"Thank you for guiding Princess Brigid back to us." Serafina thanked the girl.

"You're welcome." Fand smiled.

"Come on, Princess. Let's go home." Mercy replied as she took Brigid's hand.

The Princess glanced over her shoulder and gave a friendly wave as Fand did the same before returning back to her home. By the time the sisters returned home to the Grak Palace, Mercy and Serafina decided to act more like humans. They can't just wander around the palace all night when Brigid was asleep. So, they will need a room of their own until morning came. After talking with King Henryk about the issue, he gave them their own separate rooms. He gave Mercy the empty Old Throne Room to become her own and Serafina one of the newly constructed room.

Visiting the Old Throne Room through the double doors, Mercy looked around the bare place. Luckily, since the room was built on the outer area of the palace than from within the building, she can change the shape of the space. Using her magic, the floor slightly got lower so stairs can be added. Connecting the double door is a glass covered bridge and walkway that leads to the ground via plight of ice stairs. A large patch of ground is covered with soft powdered snow with water surrounding the floor. There was an ice chandelier on the ceiling. On the ground, there were many glass boxes where people can sit or lie down on... At least, on the ground that is covered in snow.

Another plight of stairs leads to ground floor where her bed will be. With her magic, the room was dimmed with hues of blue and white from the chandelier and lights were added on the stairs. When the light hits the perfect angle, the reflected specks of light resembles stars. Soft wind blow gently as snow falls. No matter how much snow continues to fall, the room will never be filled with white flakes. Just enough powder to walk on. There was a small waterfall that created a pond at a corner of the room - water surrounding the large snowy floor, like an island. A mixture of snow, water, and ice. This chamber is now known as Mercy's Snow Room.

Meanwhile, Serafina was working on her Fire Room. Unlike Mercy, her room was more simple and medium size. It wasn't vastly large or extravagant. There was a window with red curtains drawn together. A simple bed laid on the left corner of the room. There wasn't much to see other than the rug, the small shelf with little to no books, the drawers, and a lava lamp on the stand. Decorated all over the room were small little red lamps that glowed dimly against the fairly dark space.

It was very cozy and a humble place. She doesn't know why she preferred the room to be dark, but she loves the light that surrounds the walls. Of course, she can't lit fire or else the place would burn. Besides, no one can exactly sleep in a fiery room. Although, there were some colors that were associated with flames that it was close enough.

Whenever it was night time, the sisters would retire to their rooms and simply waited for the morning. They couldn't sleep, but having a bed was for common sense.

* * *

Days continue to pass and everyday seemed normal. As springtime approaches, Brigid gets to spend more time with her sisters. However, on this particular day, she noticed that Mercy isn't joining them. Worried about her sister's absence, she turned to Serafina for answers as they make their way into the forest.

"Mercy couldn't make it today. She had something to do." Serafina lied.

Technically, it wasn't a complete lie. Mercy had told Serafina that she couldn't guard Brigid today because their master needed to speak with her. Still, the fire doll didn't feel great lying to the Princess. As the two headed into the forest for an adventure, Serafina was sure she heard a buzzing sound. It was irritating her as whatever was buzzing in her ears, but she couldn't see it. Just as the Royal Guard was about to use her fire powers, Brigid stops her.

"You can't always solve everything with your powers, Sera. Practice some patient." she advised.

The older sister sighed, "Yeah, you're right."

As the two ventured into the forest, the Royal Guard questioned the Princess on why coming to the wooded area. Brigid explained that nature just makes her feel at peace. Plus... She felt like all her life, she was surrounded by nature. Understanding that her little sister cannot exactly explain it, Serafina choose not to pushed further for answers. Continuing into the forest, Brigid started talking about a story. How there is someone on the moon. They float all the way there and was able to touch the lunar surface.

"I want to touch the moon too." Brigid smiled.

"I don't know... The moon is _way_ high up." Serafina discouraged the idea.

True to her words, it wasn't easy - trying to reach to the moon. But that didn't stopped Brigid. Venturing deeper into the forest, the child and Royal Guard found a large pond. Currently, there was nothing in the reflection, but the Princess suggested waiting for the moon's reflection to shine on the water. In a way, she would be reaching for the reflection on the water.

As they wait, however, danger was near...

A loud roar can be heard, followed by a blast of flames. The fire spooked some of the animals as they ran, charging straight towards Brigid! Luckily, Serafina saved the girl from danger just in time. However, she got injured in the process.

"Sera, you're hurt!" Brigid exclaimed.

"I'm fine." the Royal Guard assured. "Let's head back to the palace."

"Okay."

Ushering the Princess out of the forest, Serafina turned towards where that blast of fire came from. She can see that dragon along with the Prince of Daemon Evokers. Walking calmly towards them, the Royal Guard stops a few feet away from the barrier.

"What were you thinking? Endangering the Princess?" Serafina questioned.

"I wasn't aiming at her. There's no way I would hurt my daughter." Nuada replied. "The fire was supposed to hit you... If it could have passed this barrier."

"Sorry to burst your bubble, but your dragon's power wouldn't affect me anyway." the fire doll replied back. "You're lucky that this barrier is whats keeping you out."

"What's that suppose to mean?!" the Daemon Evoker Prince growled.

"I won't warn you again. You're my master's enemy and therefore, my enemy. Should you try to claim Brigid again, the next time we meet will be on the battlefield. I will used my fire to burn you to death. Stay. Away. From Brigid." Serafina threatens before leaving.

Back at the palace, Brigid was being apologetic, repeatedly apologizing for the injury Serafina got for protecting her. Despite the Royal Guard insists that she is fine and that the Princess did her no harm, the girl was not convinced, becoming close to tears. So, Serafina decides to cheer her up by telling her a story.

It was a story from old legend. There was once two couple who were greatly in love. Sadly, the girl died at a young age, leaving the boy very sad. He grew up into a man and never married, living a quiet, humble life. He often was visited by his sister and nephew. Rumors spread that the man was mad for he would speak to the air. One day, the nephew saw his uncle laying in bed. He was cold and still... Then suddenly, a white butterfly flew inside and landed on his forehead before flying outside through the window. Curious, the young boy followed the white butterfly to a grave. When the butterfly landed on the headstone, it disappeared. Shocked, the boy ran to find his mother only to find her crying for her departed brother. When his mother explained his uncle's tale, the boy understood that the white butterfly was his lover. She had waited for him until his soul could joined her in the afterlife.

"Where have you heard that story, Sera? I don't think it's in the palace library..." Brigid questioned.

"I don't know, but no matter how long she waits, the white butterfly waited for her lover to join her. And... His love for her survived even after death." Serafina explained. "The man remained faithful to her, loving her despite she has died. The white butterfly refused to go to the afterlife, wishing to be with the man until he dies of old age. They made an eternal oath that they never broke."

"What are you trying to say, Sera?"

"I'm trying to say that... It's time for me to make an oath to you. Whether something serious happen, I won't ever make you worry again, Bri."

"Promise?"

"Promise." Serafina smiled as she seals the deal with a kiss on the hand.

"Thank you, Sera." the girl attempted to smile before wrapping her arms around her elder sister's neck.

* * *

The next morning, however, an argument broke out. While walking through a hallway, Serafina was confronted by Mercy. Her younger sister didn't looked all that happy. In fact, she had a disapproving look on her face and her arms were crossed. Before Serafina could even speak, it was Mercy who started the conversation.

"What were you thinking, Serafina?! Putting the Princess in danger like that?" she scolded.

"Where did you-"

"I heard." Mercy cut her off. "Master told me what had happen. How can you be so careless?"

"I tried, Mercy." Serafina explained. "And besides, why are you so concern about Brigid?"

"I-" Mercy was stunned by the question.

She doesn't know why she started caring, but before she could explain, it was Serafina's turn to become angry.

"Never mind. You're only concern about Brigid's well being because that's what Master wanted."

"T-That's not true! I only wished for the Princess to be okay because I cared..." Mercy revoked her sister's claims.

"No, you only want that because it's what Master wants. It's not what you want." the sulfur servant argues.

The conversation starts to shift as Mercy tried to changed the subject. She reasoned with Serafina that as Royal Guards, they have no choice, but to obey their creator. Her desires are for them to complete. Slowly, the argument started to become heated as Mercy began to make remarks on her sister's poor behavior.

"You aren't taking your mission seriously. By being carefree, you are condemning yourself for failure!"

"Well, you are indecisive. You aren't doing this because you want to, it's only because you wanted to please Master!" Serafina retaliated.

"When are you going to stop being so selfish?!"

That remark ticked off Serafina as she draws her fire powers and send a blast at Mercy. A small battle commence. The younger sister easily blocks it, but she wasn't prepared for the second blast that headed her way. The second attack resulted in Mercy having an injured right arm. Although she healed her arm of any pain, the burn still remains. Grimacing, Mercy summoned a spear made out of water. At her touch, the spear solidifies, becoming something similar to ice. Just as Mercy was about to retaliate back, Brigid have walked in, seeing the light flashing around the corner. Seeing her sisters fighting, the Princess summoned her dragonflies to intercept Mercy's water powers before it could reached Serafina.

Seeing the water spear and dragonflies disappear in salt, Serafina and Mercy turned their sight onto their little sister.

"Brigid..." Serafina whispered.

"Please, don't fight! I can't stand to see you two fighting!" Brigid cried.

The sisters only looked down in shame, but it didn't resolve their fight despite the Princess tried to be the mediator. Instead, they parted ways, not speaking to one another. Serafina burst into flames, having teleported somewhere else while Mercy turned her body into liquid, leaving in a swirl of water. Both leaving behind the Princess to herself as she is stuck in the middle. Not sure on what to do, the child attempts to talk with both sisters and lessen their conflict with the other. Knowing that Serafina needed time to cool off, Brigid decided to go after Mercy first.

It wasn't hard to find her. Despite it may not look like it, Brigid could tell what Mercy was feeling through her calm composure. It was clear on her face that she wasn't happy. Following the water droplets left behind, Brigid found her way outside of Mercy's room at the end of the hallway. It was the only place Mercy could have gone to since it was isolated from the inner rooms. Pushing the large double doors as they opened, Brigid steps into the glass bridge. She was amazed at the sight, taking in the beauty of the Snow Room. After all, this was her first time visiting a room of her sister's. It was like a winter wonderland compacted into a small area. Fresh snow falls as Brigid walks to the end of the bridge, reaching a flight of stairs that leads down to a patch of snowy ground. The sound of the waterfall can be heard gushing as the water rippled around the piece of land she is standing on. There were also light crystals at the bottom of the water, reflecting the small luminous waves to the ceiling.

Walking to another flight of stairs that goes up, Brigid found a giant bed that looks as fluffy as a pile of soft snow. There was little in this area. Nevertheless, Brigid was still amazed at how Mercy managed to turn this Old Throne Room into something more... Grand. Walking up to the bed, the Princess found a book. Curious of the title, she picked the book up to examined it closer.

"Princess?"

"Oh! Mercy." Brigid gasped as she turned around, startled, but relieved to see her.

"What are you doing in here, Princess?" Mercy questioned.

She wasn't mad at the girl for intruding. Rather, she was confused of the girl in her room.

"I wanted to talk to you..." the child paused. "...About Serafina."

Mercy sighed as she gestures for the Princess to sit as she sat next to her.

"Serafina is just... Stubborn. She believes that I am relying too much on my orders." the Royal Guard explains.

"Merce, am I giving too much orders to you and Sera? If I am, you don't have to always obey me." Brigid replied sheepishly.

Realizing that the girl must have felt embarrassed for a misunderstanding she doesn't know about, Mercy frantically denies, "No, no! You're not in the wrong. It's just that... I having trouble balancing out with my orders."

"But if I'm not in the wrong, how come you and Sera seemed to take your commands so seriously? Am I not the only person you and Sera take orders from?"

Mercy remained silent, unable to answer that type of question. Aside from the Princess, the King does not know that her loyalty along with Serafina's are with the Royal Advisor. That is just how it works. Even if she were to disagree with her master, she can't defy her orders. It wasn't easy, trying to disobey an order... Or live without an order. It would make her purpose seem... Meaningless.

Seeing that Brigid was waiting for an answer, Mercy replied, "I take my orders seriously, Princess. The King has ordered me to protect you. And I have to honor that order."

Brigid remain silent, needing time to gather her thoughts.

Eventually, she came up with a response, "Perhaps Sera doesn't want you to be too dependent on your orders. If you continue to be too loyal, you could hurt others and yourself unintentionally."

The girl even gave an example. Let's say the Royal Guard was lying to her for her own sake - for protection. Though it was out of loyalty, the method - the lies - wouldn't be the right way in solving the problem. In the end, because of her loyalty, Mercy could hurt the girl if she finds out the truth... And it would hurt herself for having to tell a lie to her in the first place.

"I see..."

"I'm not sure if that's exactly what Sera is thinking, but if it were me, I wouldn't want you to be dependent on what others want. You don't have to always live up to others' expectations."

"Princess..." Mercy was shocked to see the girl now holding her hands.

"Merce, what is it that you want to do? You may think that you're content fulfilling what others want, but you've actually become sad inside. I can tell." Brigid told her in a serious manner. She paused before a warm smile appeared on her face as she teased, "You should learn to be a little selfish and do something that you like."

Getting up, the child playfully ran down the stairs, prompting the sister to asked, "Where are you going, Princess?"

She answered, "I have to find Sera and have a talk with her."

Mercy only watched in silence as the girl exited the Snow Room. Once alone, she replayed Brigid's words to have a better grasp on it.

 _'I should do something that I like, huh?'_

* * *

Finding Serafina was a little challenging than she thought. Unlike Mercy, Serafina would disappear and appear at anyplace at anytime. However, because the Royal Guard was angry, there would always be a way for Brigid to find her. Following the burn marks and embers, the Princess found herself at the edge of the forest. It was the same place where they played yesterday. It wasn't long until she found Serafina. The Royal Guard was using her fire powers to lash out against a sturdy tree. It wasn't enough to start a fire, but enough for her to vent out her anger and frustrations at. Brigid quietly walk up, unsure at when she can get the guard's attention.

"Sera?" Brigid meekly called out.

Serafina turned around as her flames went out, "Oh... Hey, Bri."

"Sera, we need to talk... About Merce." Brigid timidly replied.

"What about Mercy?" Serafina slightly growled. "She is very indecisive. She thinks I'm too carefree and selfish."

"And is there anything wrong with being carefree or selfish?" the girl questioned.

"No, I guess... It makes me happy, but Mercy believes that I won't make a good guard if I continue my behavior." Serafina sat down on the grass, leaning herself against a tree.

"It is important to take your orders seriously, but I believe there is no harm in having fun." the Princess respond.

She sat in front of her oldest sister, leaning herself against the Royal Guard. If she listened closely, the Princess can hear her older sister's heartbeat since she has rested the back of her head against the guard's chest. They sat like this for a while, just taking in the sounds of nature. Eventually, Serafina calmed down and smiled... Before that smile become a frown as she sighs.

"Brigid, what am I going to do?" the Royal Guard asked.

"I think you have to find a way to balance between your duties and your time." the girl answered. "I understand that sometimes, work will overwhelm people. I've seen it happen with Father. Everyone needs time for themselves, but if we are too carefree, we would lose focus in our duties and in others... And ourselves."

The fire doll sighed as she affectionately pat her little sister's head.

"You always know what to do, Bri."

"Are you and Merce going to make amends?" Brigid questioned.

"I don't know..." Serafina trailed off. "After what happened this morning? I'm not even sure if Mercy would want to talk to me."

The Salt Princess sighed as she got up. They were being stubborn - the two of them. So, she will try to bring them together and make amends. As she left, Serafina began to reflect on the girl's words. Still, how was she going to face Mercy?

Returning to the palace, Brigid went to her room. She attempts to make her room more lively so her sisters can stay. Back when she met with the people of the town, many girls and boys around her age talked about a sleepover. She never heard of a sleepover, but thought that after the reconciliation, the three of them can stay in her room and have fun... Just like close friends do.

It was until late afternoon that Brigid had everything set. Thanks to the help of some servants, she managed to accomplish what she wanted. However, she still needs a way to bring the sisters together. Closing the door to her room, Brigid left the palace to ponder on any ideas. Many thoughts went and go, none of them weren't going to work. Eventually, the child got tired, sitting down on a bench under a shady tree in the Royal Garden before dozing off to sleep.

After some time have passed, Serafina went to see Brigid in her room. She initially planned to tell her little sister that she was right before apologizing to Mercy. Instead, she found the room empty with decorations.

"Serafina?"

The older sister turned around to see her little sister, "Mercy?"

The younger sister was looking around awkwardly before sighing, "Listen, I... I'm sorry that I called you selfish. I understand that you wanted what's best for me and to live without having to always obey certain orders."

"I'm sorry that I called you indecisive. Brigid have told me reasons why I should take my job seriously sometimes." Serafina apologized.

"Where is she?" Mercy questioned. "I'd like to thank her for her advice."

"Well, she was here..." Serafina gestures for her younger sister to come closer.

"What do you mean?"

"See for yourself."

When Mercy took a peek inside of Brigid's room, she was astound. There were many decorations hung around the ceiling, more pillows on the bed, and snacks on the table. It sorta resembles a sleepover party. Though Mercy never seen one before, she had learned a lot about what human children do at night during her visit to the town. Realizing that the girl wanted to keep them together, the sisters tried to find her.

After searching many places, it was at the Royal Garden that Serafina found Brigid first. She attempted to gently wake up the Princess, but she didn't stir. The girl had such a warm smile on her peaceful face that Serafina wonders what sort of dream she was having.

 _'It must be nice... To have dreams.'_ the Royal Guard thought blissfully.

Despite the fire doll knew that she cannot sleep like real humans, she wished she could. She would like to dream too. Sitting next to Brigid, she leaned towards the girl and attempted to sleep. Even though it was impossible, there was no harm in pretending to. She closed her eyes as a peaceful smile graced her own lips.

Some time have passed until Mercy saw her sisters in the Royal Garden after failing to find them elsewhere. Seeing Brigid asleep, the second Royal Guard walked quietly as possible. Sitting next to Brigid so the little girl was between her sisters, Mercy softly tapped on Serafina's shoulders.

"Hm?" Serafina quietly respond.

"What are you doing?" Mercy whispered, trying not to wake their little sister.

"It would be nice if we could sleep and dream. So, I'm pretending what it's like to dream." the eldest sister replied before closing her eyes.

"May I join you?"

"Sure."

Mercy leaned against Brigid as she closed her eyes, the sisters patiently waiting for the Princess to wake, wondering what kind of dream she was in.

* * *

 **1) Brigid's birthday is February first in my story canon because Feb 1st is the feast day of Saint Brigid.  
**

 **2) You know, there was one odd thing I noticed. In MR, there was little structure of the Grak Kingdom on the map compared to the map in RotSP. To answer that, I thought construction on the Grak Kingdom after Nuada's attack was the solution.  
**

 **3) I'm pretty sure that at one point, the Detective referred Wanda as the Queen of the Grak Kingdom if you were to click on her portrait in the Throne Room. Either that was an oversight or the Detective was wrong. Still, I found a way from that loophole.**

 **4) Fand in a minor OC. Her name come from fairies or otherworldly maidens, specifically a Fairy Queen, in Irish mythology. She is only a one time chapter character and won't appear for the remainder of the story.  
**

 **5) Based of the way Serafina sounded very displeased when the Detective brought "that Daemon Evoker" with her, it sorta sounds like she has a grudge against him. So I thought why not have a little history with them.**

 **6) The story Serafina told was the Japanese story The White Butterfly.**

 **More bonding. Don't you just love it? Please leave a review. And PLEASE tell me what you think. In other words, give constructive criticism.  
**


	7. Chapter 7

**We've finally reached the halfway mark! Yay! And surprise, surprise! This will be Serafina's chapter and her time to shine! It was really a hard chapter, I will admit. I even feel disgusted towards myself for a certain scene with the Royal Advisor. Get ready to hate the Royal Advisor even more. Anyway, enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 7: The Fiery Soul that Burns with Passion

Outside on a cold day of March, the Lakefront has frozen into strong, steady ice. Mercy have seen the frozen lake and wanted to try skating it. Creating a pair of ice skates, Mercy steps out of her slippers and put on her new boots. Stepping onto the ice to see if it was steady enough, the Royal Guard started to take another step until she skate on the icy surface. She was surprised that the ice was very steady.

Despite springtime has arrived, Mercy was concerned that the snow and ice would have melted or become weak, but it didn't. Taking another step, Mercy glided on the ice as she attempts at a fancy move. She have read many books on what humans do, so she was familiar with some skating techniques. A few jumps and a twirl before giving a little curtsy. Suddenly, the sound of clapping hands startled her as she looked up.

"Princess..."

"That was beautiful, Merce." Brigid smiled.

"Thank you, Princess."

"Can you teach me too?" the Grak Princess asked meekly.

"Well, it takes a lot of practice." Mercy teased. Seeing the girl pout, she gave in, "Okay, okay, let's get started."

"Yay!" Brigid gave a little cheer.

Taking the girl's hands, she took her onto the icy surface. Brigid nearly slipped, but quickly regain her composure as she tried to adjust. Eventually, she can slowly skate without looking down on the ice. To be honest, the Royal Guard was happy to spend some time with the Salt Princess. It has been... Well, forever, since they were together - just the two of them. In fact, Mercy cannot recall a single memory when she spends time with Brigid alone. As for Brigid... She was also happy to spend some time with her middle sister too. For a long time, the Royal Guard looked like she was keeping her distance - almost avoiding the Princess - so they never really had the chance to be alone. She was grateful for anytime spent with her sisters, whether it was with both of them or individually.

As Brigid slowly let go of Mercy's hands to try and skate on her own, Mercy suddenly felt a sharp pain in her chest. It hurts, but she doesn't know what was the cause of it. The pain was also distinctive that it didn't just hurt, it made her feel immense sadness.

 _'Why has this pain returned? I haven't felt this in a long time, so why...?'_ she frowned.

Brigid, having noticed the sad expression, became concerned, "Merce, are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine. It's nothing." Mercy lied.

Brigid frowned, having easily seen through the Royal Guard's lies. She recalled that she once told the guard about not lying, but she'll let this one pass. Sometimes, there are secrets that people rather not talked about until they feel like sharing it. The Salt Princess understand that the source of this particular lie is out of personal problems. This type of lie, she will not pushed for answers. After some time has passed, Mercy and Brigid left the frozen lake, changing out of their ice skates.

Returning to the Grak Palace, the two of them eventually joined Serafina. Together, the three sisters went to the Music Room. Now as the Grak Princess, Brigid has to learn some etiquette, much to her displeasure. Her teachers insisted that she learned proper table manners, literature, and more. It would have been hard without Serafina and Mercy close by. Learning etiquette was very boring, something that she didn't need and have to learn anyway.

However, the Music Room was one of the good benefits of her learning. The girl love music and there was only one rule from her teacher. So long the music is beautiful, it may be creative. Her sisters may also join her in her lessons. Mercy choose to play the harp while the Princess choose the flute. Serafina refrained because she couldn't play any of the instruments.

Listening to her youngest sister playing the flute, Serafina remarked, "You play so well."

Playfully sticking out her tongue a little, Brigid giggled, "Thank you, Sera."

"It seems our little Princess enjoys playing the flute." Mercy teased.

"I remember playing on a leaf flute. The music was so soothing that I feel like I was surrounded by nature." the Princess explained.

Mercy took note of that and after the sisters left the Music Room, she parted ways.

"Hey, Mercy, where are you going?" Serafina asked.

"Oh, just need to do something. You two go on without me." Mercy insisted.

She didn't give them time to ask anymore questions before she ran off to her Snow Room. She needed an excused to leave. One was because she felt the pain in her heart gem returning. The other was because an idea just came to her mind.

Using her powers, Mercy created an ice flute and leaf flute. The ice was special because it will never melt. She plans to give the icy instruments to Brigid one day, but not today. Taking the two flutes, the water doll place them inside an icy case. Hiding the case beneath the waterfall, the Royal Guard nodded in approval before rushing off to join her sisters. But before she could make it out the hallway, someone called out to her.

"Mercy!"

She stops and turned towards the voice, "Master?"

* * *

Meanwhile, Serafina and Brigid were out in the Royal Garden. Finished with today's lessons, the Salt Princess get to have the remaining day to herself. It was strange though. All her lessons were short. Her father had arranged it that way and she wonders why. Many of her teachers have told her that her mother wasn't interested in lessons. Although she can agree with her mother, it wasn't entirely bad. With Serafina and Mercy, time seemed to go by fast and the lessons are just swept away.

Strolling in the Royal Garden, the little Salt Princess pondered, "I wonder what is talking Merce so long?"

"I don't know." Serafina answered.

Suddenly, a raindrop fall from the sky as dark storm clouds appeared. It wasn't long until it started to rain heavily as Brigid screamed, startled by how fast the droplets were pouring onto her. Caught in the rain, the sisters rushed back to the palace for shelter. Shivering from her soaked clothes, Brigid let out a tiny sneeze. Not wanting the Princess to catch a cold, Serafina lead her little sister to her room.

"So cold..." Brigid shivered.

"I'm so sorry, Brigid." Serafina apologized once they got to her room. "If I have watch for the storm clouds, maybe I could have taken you to the palace faster."

"No, no! It's okay." the girl insisted as she went to the dressing screen to changed out of her clothes. As she puts on a more simple dress, the child notice something missing. "Oh no!"

"What?" Serafina jumped.

"I lost my necklace. It must have fallen somewhere." she explained.

Serafina knows about Brigid's necklace. It was a present given to her by the King. She has treasured the piece of jewelry since it was the only thing she has to remind her of her father and wished to keep it close with her at all times. Calming down the child, the Royal Guard promised that she'll searched for the necklace. One of the reason was because she didn't want to see Brigid upset. The other reason was because she felt partially responsible for the loss. However, despite she searched the Royal Garden after the storm has subsided, she couldn't find it. Unable to find the necklace, Serafina was concern until she has an idea.

By the time Brigid had went to sleep, Mercy decided to check up on Serafina. After knocking on the door and was granted permission to enter, the younger sister was a bit shock to find a messy room. A few clothes were lying on the floor, drawers were left open, many things on the shelves were knocked over. At the table was her older sister who has a jar containing yellow beads in her hands.

Crossing her arms at the messy room, Mercy asked, "What are you doing, Serafina?"

"Brigid lost her necklace. The one the King gave to her. I couldn't find it, so I thought I should make a new, identical one for her." the older Royal Guard answered.

"Wouldn't it be more easier to find her lost one?" Mercy questioned, uncrossing her arms. "It seemed to have more sentimental value than the one you're making."

"It's the thought that counts, Mercy." Serafina insisted as she open more drawers in search for materials. "Besides... It may not replace the memories she has of her old one, but it can create new, happy memories."

At that remark, Mercy's expression softens, "Yeah... You're right."

Serafina perk up and turned towards her younger sister, a somewhat shock look was on her face.

"Mercy, are you feeling well?"

"Yes." she shrugged. "Why did you asked?"

"Well, you never praised me before. It's not like you, so I thought you were sick." Serafina explained.

"Well, sometimes you're right... And sometimes I'm wrong." Mercy replied as she grabbed for the things her older sister needs.

As Serafina made a quick drawing on what the necklace looks like, she began to ask questions.

"So, where did you go after music lessons?"

"Oh, I had intended to come back, but Master needed me for something."

"...I see." Serafina paused. Wanting to change the subject, she questioned, "Mercy, whenever Brigid is sad, why do raindrops fall from her eyes?"

"Raindrops?" Mercy became confused.

"Whenever she cries, sometimes a single raindrop or more would fall." the older sister clarified.

"Ah... I believe humans call those raindrops 'tears'." Mercy stood up. "They are produce when humans cry after a stressful, emotional event or intense revelation have occurred."

"Why would humans have such tears when they are sad? And why would humans cry?"

"I don't know. We aren't in the position to questioned that. We... Aren't human ourselves, so we can't experience such things." Mercy look up towards her older sister. "You have the heart of sulfur... So you can experience many range of emotions than I can, but... We both cannot cry or have the ability to shed tears of sorrow or happiness. We can only feel sad or feel a slight tug in our chest. It's the closest thing we have towards crying."

"So if we could cry, would that make us human?"

"I don't know, Serafina. Really, I don't know the answer." Mercy sighed.

"Right. Sorry I asked." Serafina mumbled as she resumed to her little project. "Hey, Mercy?"

"Yes?"

"You have gold coins that Master tends to give you, right?"

"Yes. Why do you asked?"

"Can I have those gold coins?"

Mercy looked over at what her older sister has on the table. There were a few things that she obviously didn't need. And that's when an idea popped in her mind. After all, neither sisters have any use for gold coins.

"Sure, I'll part with my coins. However, I want that jar of jewels you have in exchange."

A smile spread on the older sister's face, "It's a deal."

After getting her jar of blue jewels and silver chains, Mercy returns to her Snow Room. After sending the gold coins to Serafina via her water powers, Mercy also went to work. Seeing her sister making something for Brigid made her want to do the same thing. The younger Royal Guard plans to make the Salt Princess a tiara. However, it wouldn't be the usual kind. It will be made with blue gemstones laced together with tiny beads.

* * *

The next day, Brigid unfortunately came down with a fever after getting caught in yesterday's rainstorm. Initially, Serafina suggested using her magic to lower the girl's body temperature like she did before when she first saw her until Mercy advised against it. The younger Royal Guard suggest letting the Princess recover by herself instead of using magic. That way, her body wouldn't grow too dependent on magic. Plus, it allows them to personally care with the girl's every needs.

At first, Serafina plans to take care of Brigid for some time before letting Mercy have her turn. However, her younger sister rejects the idea, explaining that she has other things to do. Excusing herself out of Brigid's room, the second Royal Guard left. The sudden change arouse suspicion in the older Royal Guard.

 _'She's clearly avoiding Brigid and me for some reason...'_

Turning her attention onto the bedridden Princess, Serafina began checking the ailing girl's temperature. A smile formed on the Royal Guard's lips as she felt the warm heat from the child's forehead. It reminded her so much of the time when she first met Brigid. It was just like this, the exact same scenario.

"Do you need anything, Brigid?" Serafina asked as the Princess woke.

"No." Brigid sighed, " I just wish I wasn't sick. I'm causing trouble for you and Merce..."

The girl sink deeper into her blanket out of shame as she felt very embarrassed over her predicament. The Royal Guard laughs as she tends to her little sister's care, insisting that the Princess isn't causing them trouble at all. After taking care of Brigid's needs, Serafina left so the girl can sleep peacefully.

As Serafina went to find Mercy, she saw the Royal Advisor at the end of the corner. Bowing in front of her master, she waited until the Royal Advisor passed her. Except... She didn't.

"We need to have a talk." Cailleach replied. "Follow me."

Following her creator, the Royal Guard found herself inside her master's room again. It has been a while since she came here and honestly, she didn't really wanted to come back to this room. The very room that reminded her that she wasn't human. It was like a place where one has to be reminded of its purpose. Like a doll's purpose is to look pretty or hide their true feelings behind porcelain masks of deceits. Serafina even felt out of place in this chamber. It just doesn't feel right.

"Master, why have you brought me here?"

"I see that you and your sister have gotten a name since I've last saw you." the Royal Advisor replied as she poured tea.

"Yes." the fire doll confirmed.

Taking a sip, the witch let out a sigh before she glared at her creation, causing Serafina to flinched.

"Have you grown soft?"

"I'm... Sorry?"

"Have you forgotten about your purpose? Why you were created in the first place?" Cailleach took a sip from her cup.

"N-No..." Serafina answered, looking away sheepishly.

"Listen to me. I don't give a crap with what you do, so long you remain focus. Just a simple task. Guard the girl as she grows up and yet, you put her in danger roughly a month ago!" the Royal Advisor scoffed. Turning around, the old woman muttered an insult within ear shot, "You stupid girl."

After hearing that remark, Serafina looked down. Despite she was trying, it was really hard not to feel upset over it. She has been scolded by Mercy many times, but at least she never went too far and insulted her. Unfortunately, this old woman in front of her is her master. She couldn't really talk back even if she wanted to.

 _'Why do I feel this stinging feeling in my eyes?'_ the Royal Guard wondered, sniffling.

The Royal Advisor began to hurl insults, belittling Serafina of her faults. Faults such as letting her emotions getting the better of her or developing a close attachment towards the Princess. Her master never addressed her by her name as if she refused to acknowledged her as something as close to a human being. The sulfur servant remained at her spot as she takes all the terrible comments and destructive criticism her master was throwing at her. The more she takes, however, the more she felt like her heart was going to burst from pain and sadness, submerging her in a never ending sea of cruel remarks.

"...Your sister would have done a better job at protecting the Princess than you. She isn't a pathetic heap of emotions, unlike you, girl."

Eventually, the Royal Guard couldn't handle the amount of hurtful words that spilled from the witch.

"Why...?" she spoke quietly.

"What did you say? Speak up!" Cailleach ordered.

"WHY?!" Serafina asked again, raising her voice as anger started to replace sadness.

"Why what?!"

"I was your first successful creation! So why do you treat me the way you do?!" Serafina yelled. "You refused to acknowledge me like a human being!"

"Because Mercy is better than you... Because she is like me, flawless and perfect." the Royal Advisor calmly respond. "But you... You're just like them. Your very existence reminds me of those imprudent humans, full of mistakes. Your flaws are what makes you so weak. Humans are beneath me and I definitely refused to addressed you with respect! You're not human, you're an abominable creation."

"How do you justify with what you said?! It doesn't make sense!"

"It doesn't have to make sense! I'm the creator and you are my servant. I have full control over your life." the witch snapped. "You should be more grateful that I gave life to you."

Meanwhile, Mercy was heading her way to her master's room. The other day, the Royal Advisor wanted to speak with her about Serafina. She asked many questions regarding her older sister, but Mercy either didn't answer or she tried to assure her master that Serafina is trying her best. Obviously, the Royal Advisor didn't completely trust Mercy since she was also aware of the mercury servant's condition. Nevertheless, she let Mercy go. The girl has been worried about the other day. It felt too easy. Normally, the Royal Advisor would push her questioning in an attempt to make Mercy slip some information, but there was none of that yesterday. She let her leave as if she already knew the answer.

 _'I have to make sure that Master trust my words or else she'll run out of patience with Serafina...'_ Mercy thought as she reached the room.

She was about to knock on her master's door when she heard two arguing voices from the other side.

"I don't understand! Why do you always prefer Mercy over me?!"

 _'That voice...! Is Serafina speaking with Master right now?'_

She wasn't sure if she should eavesdrop on the conversation, but it did sound serious. Plus, she was curious. Using her water powers, Mercy made her body appear lucid. Looking down at her hands, she looked transparent, almost invisible. When you have a sheet of water against a brick wall, would you be able to tell that the sheet of water was there? Most of the time, you wouldn't have noticed it. The same applies to Mercy's usage of her water powers. They can come in handy sometimes.

Anyway... From the conversation, it didn't sound good. As the argument escalates, Mercy could hear something shattering. It sounded like something fragile just broke... Like a tea pot.

"Fine. You really want to know the reason? Why you are so intolerable?" the Royal Advisor's voice hissed menacingly. "It's because you are a failure to being with."

Mercy's eyes widen as she heard her older sister muttered in shock, "W-What?"

"I never intended to create you. I initially wanted to create two water dolls, but I couldn't. You weren't suppose to exist. Just another useless puppet, a failed creation."

At the end of that remark, Serafina was shocked before getting angry, "You claim that humans are beneath you, but you're wrong. You've wallowed yourself in hatred for so long that you've allowed yourself to be as prideful as the same humans who've hurt you. You're no different from the humans."

"So what your point?" the Royal Advisor scoffed.

"I hate you... But I also pity you. After all, it's you who is beneath me." Serafina remarked before walking away.

"Wait just a minute there! How dare you?!"

Without saying a word, the Royal Guard stormed out of the door and fled from the room. Mercy just stood still as colors slowly reappear on herself. After overhearing the entire conversation, she was completely distraught. She didn't even know what to do. All she can do is only stood there quietly, pitying her older sister.

 _'Serafina wasn't suppose to exist? Does she hates me for that...? Because our creator has always considered her as a failure...'_

* * *

At first... She felt insecure. That information just came out of nowhere... And it was uncalled for! Was she a failure before she was even created? Had the Royal Advisor initially wanted to create two mercury servants? Not her? Just a needless servant created not because their creator wanted or desired for its creation, but because the creator has to create it? Was she really a failure? A simple disposable pawn? Much like a doll's purpose, it doesn't decide its fate. The owner has full control on whether or not they keep such a thing. Sometimes, dolls are simply discarded like useless defective merchandise. Others are kept to be put in an everlasting display, showered with love and attention... Just like Mercy... But not her.

 _'No. I was... Disposed of, like I was garbage.'_

Anger started to build up. In response, the Royal Guard left the palace to unleash her anger. She was so upset and bothered. Another factor was because she never felt such pain in her chest. She was sad. And yet, she can't even cry tears! It was so frustrating and upsetting! Is it true that her mistakes and flaws is what makes her weak? Then... Her carefree personality, her willingness to allow herself to love makes her weak? Those are her mistakes? It was so darned confusing that she don't even know anymore!

What she had said to her master wasn't a lie. She does pity her... But at the moment, her anger weighs heavier than her compassion. To cope with her feelings, Serafina created a doppelganger of the witch during the night. She didn't dare do this where her master could notice or be there to witness it. It was a simple illusion, however, the face was blurred out.

"Why?! Why am I inferior to Mercy? I don't understand!" the Royal Guard yelled, missing her mark.

 _"Because Mercy is better than you... Because she is like me."_ the Royal Advisor's voice rang in her mind.

"If I was a failure to begin with, why did you created me?!"

 _"Because a magical servant is still a magical servant."_ the witch simply answered.

Serafina attacked and attacked, each miss caused her to grow more and more frustrated. Eventually, she overexerted herself and had fallen on her knees. Rain started to fall, but she could care less. After all, she isn't human so there was no need to be concern of one's heath. If she's injured, she heals with magic. If she faces danger, she use magic. It started to rain harder, but as she laments over her failures, Serafina didn't notice drops of water falling from her eyes. She simply assumed that it was the rainwater.

"I hate this... I hate myself..." she cried bitterly.

She also hated this side of hers. Although it was her more honest side, she didn't want to look weak or vulnerable. It'll only reminds her of what her master had said.

 _"Your flaws are what makes you so weak."_

"You're wrong!"

 _"You always let your emotions get in the way with your missions. It's proof that you're a failure."_

"That's not true!"

 _"You weren't suppose to exist. Just another useless puppet, a failed creation."_

"SHUT UP!"

Her anger didn't quell, but it was slowly being replace with a new type of feeling. Resentment. The Royal Guard started to resent her younger sister for being the perfect creation. At the same time, she doesn't blame her. That was just how they were built. The younger sister never show off her perfection or rubbed it in her face. However, it doesn't change the fact that she was starting to become resentful and jealous of Mercy.

 _'You're so lucky, Mercy. I wished I could have been more like you...'_ Serafina thought.

Getting back up on her feet, the Royal Guard continued to attack, her anger and hatred has been rekindled.

Eventually, dawn arrives as Brigid woke up. Sitting up, she noticed that neither Mercy or Serafina were waiting for her. Normally, the sisters would tell her "goodnight" before retiring to their rooms during the night and returns to her room before she wakes, exclaiming "good morning". Getting up, Brigid left her room in search for her sisters. After seeing sparks of flames in the forest, the girl ran to find Serafina. By the time she got to the forest, there were flames that charred the ground. The Royal Guard was panting from exhaustion, tired of her night's venting.

"Sera?" Brigid called out. "Is something wrong?"

The older sister didn't respond at first, but sighed, "No. It's nothing, Bri."

"Please, don't lie to me... Or to yourself. What's wrong, Sera?"

Another sigh as Serafina sinks to her knees, "I don't understand. I know why people love Mercy. She's smart and capable, but... I feel like I'm in her shadows."

"Is that all?" Brigid asked softly.

"No. I was told of something cruel. My existence was a mistake... I'm just... Useless piece of trash who have no further use."

Serafina has given in. After venting her anger last night, she eventually realized that it wouldn't change the fact over what she is. She was hurting and tired of it all. All these few years of living contently... It was like a dream. And the truth smashed that dream into pieces. The guard felt something foreign at the brim of her eyes again as she criticized herself, but a set of tears steam down that weren't hers.

"Don't say that! You can't have doubts about yourself! Otherwise, you wouldn't be you anymore!" Brigid cried.

Wiping away whatever was in her eyes as well as the Princess', Serafina let out a small laugh as she questioned in a sarcastic manner, "And how am I me?"

"You're Serafina. A sister I love and care for!" the girl answered.

The Royal Guard giggled as hug the child, caressing the back of her little sister's head, "Oh... Thanks, Bri. You're so sweet."

"Promise me you won't change, Sera."

A small smile appeared as Serafina closed her eyes, "I promise."

Getting up, the Princess took her sister's hand as she takes the Royal Guard to her most favorite spot in the entire kingdom in hopes of cheering her up. On the Viewing Tower, it was known to be the best place to see the sunrises and sunsets.

"I always love this tower of all the others. The view always calms me down. When the sun rises or sets... Or the moon and starry nights come, it cheered me up."

Serafina turned her attention as the sun started to rise. It was such a warm glow of red with the sky being an orange color. The feeling when the faint rays touched her skin, giving her warmth... It was like curling up by the fire. The two sisters stayed that way for a while until they heard a voice.

"So this is where you two have been." Mercy walked up the stairs as she joins them.

"Merce, you're here!" Brigid exclaimed.

"Were you planning to exclude me?" the middle sister joked as the others respond with a small laugh.

The three didn't talk much, only sitting at the edge of the tower and admiring the scenery. Later that night, after Brigid was asleep, the sisters returned to the Viewing Tower at night. Mercy had chosen not to mention what she had overheard the other day. She doesn't want Serafina to get upset again. At the same time, she, herself, was not ready to think about it again. After watching the stars, a thought came into Serafina's mind.

"Hey, Mercy. Have you ever had a dream you want come true?"

The younger Royal Guard scoffed, "What are you talking about, Serafina? We aren't humans. We can't dream."

"Well, I guess a wish is something as close to a dream. What would your wish be then?"

After some consideration, Mercy answered, "If you put it that way, I guess... I would want us to be humans."

"Really?"

"Real humans. We would understand Princess Brigid more. We could sleep and dream... We wouldn't have to listen to what people say..." she trailed off. "And... I'd get understand the Princess' feelings. Yours too."

"What?"

"Never mind. So, what's your dream, Serafina?" Mercy asked.

The older Royal Guard looked at the stars, "Despite it's peaceful here... Sometimes, I feel that Brigid isn't happy with her life, living as the daughter of the King. I guess because we, as her sisters, have to serve her. That is the expectation. From the King and... From Master. In a way, this kingdom, the walls, the barrier... How it stands high and mighty, it's just another cage."

"That's very insightful, even for you." Mercy remarked softly.

"My dream is that you, me, and Brigid will stay together. We would escape these walls, away from life as royalty and servants. We would live somewhere else. In a peaceful cottage, isolated from nearby villages or kingdoms. I know that Brigid doesn't do well in large crowds. She gets nervous. That's why we'll live in a cottage, away from the people." Serafina wished quietly.

"Well, you certainly have a big dream."

"Indeed I do. And so do you." the older Royal Guard sadly comment as she stared at the stars with a sigh. "It would be nice if our dreams can come true."

Mercy stared at the stars also with a sigh, "Right."

As the sisters watched at the glimmering diamonds in the sky, a shooting star passed by. It shined bright for a moment before disappearing in the horizon.

* * *

 **1) You know, when I first saw Brigid's design, there were two things I notice once that stood out to me. The gold necklace and her blue jeweled tiara. I thought, what if they were presents from Sera and Merce? And Brigid is wearing them to remind herself of them during her exile? Sadly, her young concept art has the same gold necklace… But as the famous Rumpelstiltskin/Crocodile would quote (OUaT reference), "always love a good loophole, right?"**

 **2) I was a bit bummed out that Mercy rarely used water in the main game. Most of the time, she used the solidified form of water (which I have no problems with, but still...). The only time she ever used water was to wash the salt out of the Detective. I would have love to know what else she could have used her water powers for. So, I give her the ability to disperse her body into water (which happened last chapter). That way, she can travel in a swirl of water. This is because I never physically saw Mercy teleported. Only Serafina did it on screen. The second ability is turning her body into something that has the appearance of water, being see-through.  
**

 **3) One thing I want to clarify. Sure, Serafina has fire powers and Mercy have water powers, but that technically doesn't mean that those are their only powers. They were imbued with "the perfect combination of alchemy and several branches of magic" as well, so there should be some sort of magic other than elemental ones.**

 **4) Mercy and Serafina's wishes/dreams reflect who they are as a person. Serafina is aware that she doesn't want to live two lives at the same time. She doesn't want to live as a Royal Guard because it'll only remind her that she has a mission. She wants to live solely as Brigid's sister. And by living far away for the kingdom, she'll be happy. Mercy... There are two things with Mercy. One is that she cannot express many range of emotions like Serafina does. She wants to be human so she can experience the same feeling Serafina and Brigid feels. Also... You might have notice that there is something... Wrong with Mercy's heart gem. But what can it be? You'll have to stick and find out later.  
**

 **Now tell me, DP fans, how much do you hate the Royal Advisor? I am so not finish with her yet. We'll be seeing her do more terrible things to the sisters, so enjoy the short happy moments as you can. Mwahahaha! Also... Remember to review.  
**


	8. Chapter 8

**I'm back! First of all, I'm so sorry for not updating recently. You could be wondering why during August, I didn't upload. It was because I'm working on my MG story. I was hoping to post the first chapter at the end of that month, but a friend advise me to take my time. So I'm planning to finish this story before starting the first chapter to my MG story. Now that I got this out of the way, let's resume.**

 **Personally, I feel that Brigid and Serafina were the most developed characters in the main game. Brigid's development as a heroine and Serafina's development as a tragic villain. However, Mercy... Honestly, I don't buy that "I was faking my love and using you all this time" trash aka the "Evil All Along" trope. It just seemed too bland for Mercy's personality, though I will admit, it fooled me darn well in the game. It would also contradict the parables, unless the parables' purpose was to guise Mercy's true nature and to point in the opposite direction.**

 **So, I'm going to make Mercy more... Likable. Even more than the Royal Advisor. Sadly, all of that development will eventually be reset. Anyway, enjoy.  
**

* * *

Chapter 8: Birth of an Icy Heart

Outside of the kingdom, it was snowing outside. Despite the barrier has been up, some of the snow managed to get through, landing on the ground. Brigid was at the Lakefront, staring at the white flakes. Reaching out her hand, expecting to let the snowflake fall into her palm, she missed when a voice startled her.

"Princess, there you are."

Glancing over her shoulders, Brigid giggled, "Ehehe, you caught me."

"You have to return to the palace, Princess." Mercy insisted.

"Okay." Brigid agreed, before pausing. "But you have to catch me first!"

Immediately, Brigid ran in the other direction, prompting her middle sister to chase after her. Despite she needs to take the girl home, Mercy was aware of Brigid's tactics. This was her way to spend more time with her - a chance to make more happy memories. Even though she has to take her home, Mercy went along the chase. They ran and smiled, throwing snow at each other. Eventually, Mercy caught up with the Princess.

"Got you!" Mercy pounced.

"Ahh!" Brigid laughed.

After some time, Mercy tickled her little sister as she flailed around. Eventually, getting up, Mercy helped Brigid onto her feet.

"We really have to go home this time, Princess."

"Alright."

Taking her hand, Mercy took Brigid back to the Grak Palace and immediately straight to her room where Serafina was waiting.

Almost two years have passed and Brigid was two months away from her 7th birthday. Today was a very special day. It's Christmas of 1917! Such festive time of the year required a festive celebration! As Mercy was busy brushing Brigid's hair, she could sense the child's excitement. For nearly three years, Mercy and Serafina simply observed the traditions of the Grak Kingdom, but never took part in the joyous events. On this time of the year, however, they felt it was time for them to join in. Of course, both sisters have different reasons for celebrating this year.

Serafina wanted to celebrate for two reasons: one was because of the food and the second was she wanted to interact. Mercy decided to join because she wanted to learn more on how the humans feel on such events... Plus, knowing Brigid and Serafina, they would practically begged for her to join with them. A small smile spread on her face at the thought. Oh, how she loved her sisters very much. But as quickly her smile formed on her face, it was easily replaced with a frown. Unlike her older sister, she doesn't possess the emotional capabilities to enjoy herself. Only logic and the expectations of her master would restrain her from feeling truly from the bottom of her heart.

Most of her negative emotions, they are real despite she rarely display the feeling. Anger, sadness... It comes out more genuinely than any of her positive emotions. Her smiles are shallow and fake... Just like her existence... Just like her purpose. Even if the happy emotions were genuinely expressed, it wouldn't last long. She is a doll who so desperately wished she was a human instead. Nothing, but a false dream, created out of foolish thinking. A dream that will never come true. This is her reality. Surely all her hopes and dreams are just ideal fantasies. However, it would always be Brigid who illuminates the shadows that her master would cast her way.

She could only try to learn the emotion and hoped she can become expressive like her sisters.

"Sera, won't you wear a dress for today?" pleaded Brigid, her voice snapped Mercy back to reality.

The Royal Guard shook her head in disagreement as she crossed her arms, "Sorry, Princess, but I don't feel comfortable wearing a dress."

"I personally agree with Princess Brigid. You should wear one once in a while." Mercy voiced her opinion.

"That's easy for you to say." Serafina scoffed. "You wear dresses everyday."

"You should try to be more ladylike." the middle sister counters.

"There's nothing ladylike about being a guard." the older sister retaliates.

"Please...? Just this once?" Brigid pleaded with a dramatic look in her eyes, tears forming.

It was so dramatic that Serafina was sure that she can see some sparkles in the girl's eyes.

Letting out a heavy sigh, the older guard gave in, "Alright, alright. I'll wear a dress... But only for today!"

"Yay!" Brigid squealed, clapping her hands.

"Come along now, Serafina." Mercy muttered under her breath, pushing Serafina towards the dressing screen.

"I hate this." the Royal Guard mumbled.

The older sister had her arms crossed and pouted as she dug the heel of her boots against the floor board. Her younger sister strained as she was aware that Serafina wasn't going to make things easy for her. Sure, she complies to wear a dress, but that doesn't mean she'll simply allow her sister to dress her up. When Mercy finally pushed her sister towards the dressing screen, she turned towards Brigid.

"Princess, although I don't wish to keep you out of your own room, can you give us some privacy? So I may brighten up our older sister?" she winked.

"Okay." Brigid nods eagerly as she waited outside her room.

Alone with Serafina at last, Mercy began taking out dresses she has kept hidden in the girl's closet. There was a reason she asked for Brigid to leave. She has to pick a dress that not only Serafina will like, it will have to also cover up her heart gem. As the younger sister searched through the clothes, Serafina turned to looked at a photo of Brigid and King Henryk.

"Mercy, do you ever wished we have free will? To decide what we do instead of following orders?" she asked.

"What silly question is that? It's impossible to have a will of our own." Mercy answered.

"But do you wish to have one?" Serafina questioned.

There was some hesitance until the younger sister replied, "I don't know how to answer because I never consider the option. It's so like you to explore other options outside of the box."

"Mercy, be honest. Brigid had told you to do things that you like."

"If I was to answer honestly, then... Yes, I do want to have free will. I rather follow my heart than follow my head - listen to what I want than what Master wants. But just like our dreams, it's just impossible. We aren't humans... We don't have free will like Princess Brigid has."

"Always melancholy with you." Serafina sighed.

"It's what I'm best at. I don't have the capacities to express many emotions like you. I'm more rational and calm, but it resulted in me being hopeless." Mercy argues. "Besides, I don't have a heart to follow. The only thing I could follow are the orders that I'm bound to."

"Mercy..."

"Anyway, we shouldn't be discussing sad topics. It is a joyous day, after all." the younger sister insisted. "Besides, dolls like us should play dress up once in a while."

Mercy took out a dress that seemed to suit her older sister. Leaving the dressing screen so Serafina can change, Mercy eventually came back to help tie a few strings. Of course, the older Royal Guard complained about the corset and the fact that her younger sister took off her hat. Mercy argued that wearing hats were informal and that she was just going to have to bear with it for the night. What seemed like fifteen minutes felt like agonizing torture to Serafina. After some time, Mercy invited Brigid back to her room.

Finally, the older girl stepped out of the dressing screen and out in the opening. Brigid squealed out of delight to see her beautiful older sister dress so finely. Serafina was wearing a sweetheart red bodice with matching skirt. There were some gold trim and purple detailing on the skirt. While her sisters were admiring her, the older girl can feel her checks turning bright red out of embarrassment. She just felt so expose wearing a dress. At least the skirt reached to her ankles, thank Mercy that it was not short. She was also grateful that her younger sister chooses a dress that was easy for her to walk in. There was one problem though.

"How can I walk in these accursed shoes?" Serafina complained as she tried to remain balance, cursing at the strange footwear.

"They're called heels for a reason, Serafina." Mercy calmly responded.

"And besides, you can always wear smaller heels." Brigid chimed.

When Serafina finally tripped on her heels, Mercy actually let out a small laugh. Brigid glanced at the middle sister in shock. This was the first time she ever heard Mercy laughed. Eventually, the younger Royal Guard caught herself, realizing that she actually laughed. It was surprising and so sudden, she was shocked herself. She never laughed before, so the feeling felt foreign. For a moment, it felt like her worries about her mission was lifted a bit. Now that all attention was on her now, Mercy cleared her thought.

"Ahem, well... If you excuse me, I believe it's my turn to change for the evening." she hastily pushed the sisters out of the room before shutting the door behind them.

Leaning against the door, Mercy place a hand over her chest, _'I can't believe that I laughed. It feels so strange, yet uplifting...'_

Thinking about what just transpire, the girl eventually shook her head. She shouldn't allow herself to be so focus on a feeling for that long. After all, they were waiting for her outside. Looking over to the closet, she made her way to the dressing screen. Waiting outside, the sisters eventually turned their attention once the door was opened. Mercy was dresses as elegantly as always, wearing an ocean blue dress with at least two over skirts and ruffle trimming. Some flowers are decorating the skirt and around her arms are long finger less gloves. Her hair was tied into a tuck in bun by a light blue ribbon, retaining the two long locks on her sides. With Mercy ready, the three sisters make their way to the Ballroom.

* * *

At the ball, Brigid and her sisters arrived to already see many guests stopped to greet them. A few of them mistakenly believed Mercy and Serafina for royalty after seeing them in exquisite gowns. It wasn't that surprising to them. It was easy for them to be thought of as the biological sisters to Brigid since they always accompany her wherever she goes. Wearing fancy dresses would make the thought even more believable. As soon the Princess have arrived, the King turned to approached. Excited, Brigid walked up to him. It has been long for them to have some time together. Now standing before her father, she knew of the question he'll asked.

"Brigid, may I share the first dance with you?" King Henryk asked, extending his hand.

The Princess gave a curtsy before gladly answering, "Yes."

Taking her father's hand, the two of them shared a dance as music began to play. Other guests started dancing along with them. The sisters simply watched from the sidelines as their adorable little sister danced gracefully.

As Serafina watched the celebration, her eyes shifted onto her master, who was watching them from the other side. Having noticed that she has been spotted, the Royal Advisor scowled at her as Serafina immediately glance in the other direction. Once the witch went on her way, Serafina looked back before sighing out of relief. She still was bothered by what her master had told her that time.

Despite months passed, she could never forget about those harsh insults and cruel revelation. So, Serafina slowly started to avoid the Royal Advisor, all interactions with her are now gone. As for the Royal Advisor, she cut ties with her. During times they meet in hallways, she would often act as if Serafina never existed in the first place, causing an uneasy feeling for the older sister.

Mercy eventually became a messenger between the two, often explaining to Serafina of their master's plans and ideas. From what her younger sister would say, Serafina would never have a clear visual of her purpose despite being the witch's creation. Mercy is also not an exception, even she doesn't know her purpose yet. Their only order at the moment was to guard Brigid. What their master have in plans for the Princess, neither of them knew. The Royal Advisor would keep things tight lipped, always claiming that one day, they'll realized their "true" purpose in this world. But until that day arrives, all they have to do is simply guard the Princess and keep her from danger.

At the same time, the older Royal Guard couldn't help, but feel curiosity. What happened to their master that caused the witch to tell them stories about the humans in an shallow light? Remember herself as a "failure" made Serafina wonders what type of humans have their master encountered that they haven't?

"Mercy, why does Master have a grudge against the humans and this world?"

"Hm... Master never told me much, but she said that there were special humans, the... Daemon Evokers - the same one who started the war - did a crime against her. They supposedly have powers similar to the Princess." Mercy explained.

"What did they do?"

"They banished her from her home, but I don't know the specifics. However, Master described that it was an unforgivable crime that she felt betrayed. She believes that getting revenge will do her justice... That's why she held a grudge against the humans and this world."

"Are humans really that bad? I mean Brigid-" Serafina paused. "It's just... Really hard to accept that humans could do terrible things."

"I agree with you. It is hard to accept it, but that's how reality works. It would smash hope and love that even our innocence are gone." the younger Royal Guard spoke in a monologue way, as if she, herself, had gone through it.

"Do we have to hate the humans too? Just because we are her... Servants?" Serafina asked.

"I don't know." Mercy sighed.

Staring up at the ceiling, Serafina wondered, "Is this world really that terrible? We've never been outside the barrier, so we can't really judge."

"If Master said that the world is bad, we'll just have to take her words for it." Mercy answered. "Plus, we aren't in the position to question her."

"Yeah... I guess you're right." Serafina spoke quietly.

She hates it when Mercy would phrase it that way. They aren't in "position". She doesn't blame Mercy for using that word, but she just feel bothered by it. It was like they were accepting the fact that they were inferior beings - that they were nothing more than dolls. Then again, she wasn't surprised. Mercy would always pick the rational choice and accept the facts. Serafina wasn't like that. She doesn't accept truths and reality so easily, often becoming shock of the truth or try to have hope in the worse outcome. Suddenly, it was Mercy's turn to asked her own question.

"Serafina, if you were to have a spiritual animal like the Princess, what would it be?"

"It probably would be a moth." Serafina smiled bitterly.

"A moth?" Mercy questioned, surprised that Serafina answered with ease. It was like she had expected for the question to come forth in order to respond in a timely manner. "Why a moth?"

"Because a moth lacks the beauty and perfection of the butterfly. It's very unappealing to look at." the older sister explained. "Just like the moth, I lacked the perfection you have. A moth was born imperfect, just a disgusted version of the butterfly. I wouldn't be surprised if people prefer the butterfly over the moth... Just like how _she_ prefers you over me."

Mercy knew where this was coming from. Despite it has been months, Serafina has not forgotten about her fight with the Royal Advisor. Was their master's words starting to affect her sister that bad? She never seen Serafina accepting anything. So it was surprising to see her accepting herself to be the moth. Honestly, it was very sad. Quite sad indeed...

She gave her a pitiful look before answering, "Whoever said that I would be the butterfly? You're unique, Serafina, just the way you are. Sure, the moth may have flaws that makes it look inferior to the butterfly, but the moth is its own kind. It doesn't have to be perfect or beautiful like the former. So please, don't look down on yourself like that."

"Mercy..." Serafina trailed off, surprised of that type of response.

"Anyway, it doesn't matter if I'm a butterfly or not. We're both the frog's prisoners. Frogs eats butterflies and moths since they are inferior to the creature. We can never escape from her. You, me, even the Princess. The frog plans for all three of us to be together so something will happen one day." Mercy replied.

"What do you-" before Serafina could ask what Mercy meant, Brigid had called out to them.

"Serafina! Mercy!"

Looking at the girl as she gave a friendly wave, the sisters joined her. The King had left to talk with the other guests, leaving his daughter to dance with her sisters. First was Serafina. She danced with the Princess, occasionally letting Mercy take over. The younger sister would give Brigid a twirl before handing her back to Serafina. That's how their dance stayed for a while.

Eventually, Mercy stops to rest, walking to the far end of the room. When she was alone - away from any of the invited guests - she started pondering about what Serafina had asked her earlier - about having free will. She enjoyed her life with her sisters. As she reflect on her life, her heart gem began to react violently.

"Ahh!" she groaned.

The pain returned as she clutched her chest. It was so sudden and it hurts so much. When she looked up, her vision began to get distorted. Any minute now, she could become unconscious. Not wanting to create a scene, the water doll walked unsteadily to hide behind the curtains. She did faltered for a second, glancing over to her sisters.

From a distance, King Henryk noticed that something was wrong with Mercy. He was a bit concern, but was busy with the guests at the party to completely pay attention. Unable to ignore the pain, Mercy resumed to her hiding place. Hidden by the drapes, she disperse into a flow of water as she travels to the Snow Room. At the end of the hallway, Mercy materialized, limping to the door.

With too much force than she intended, the Royal Guard pushed the double doors opened. Bursting through her room, Mercy used her magic to seal the doors shut. As she walked further towards the end of the glass bridge, she took a peek at her chest to see her heart gem glowing a soft blue color. The sounds of a heartbeat can be heard and it was thumping heavily and painfully. Being around Brigid, whenever she gets close - just even thinking about her idyllic life with her sisters - her heart hurts.

Brigid is the source of her pain. At the same time, without her, she feels like she cannot be "fixed". Mercy tried to endure the pain to the best of her ability, but her body cannot take it anymore. Swaying to the side, she collapsed forward, falling down the stairs. Landing with a thud, she tried to stay conscious, but it was hard.

"I can't breathe..." she weakly spoke before slipping to unconsciousness.

Suddenly, the ice that sealed the exit melted as the double doors opened to reveal the Royal Advisor. Calmly walking forward, her shadow looms over Mercy as she stared at her servant in disapproval.

* * *

By the time Mercy woke up, she found herself in a familiar place. She was in the lab, the place where she first awaken. Sitting up slowly and in a daze, Mercy noticed that her heart gem was exposed. Had this been roughly three years ago, her face wouldn't become this red and flustered. Fumbling with the strings as she began to hide her core underneath her clothing, she couldn't help, but wonder if anyone could have seen her core glowing at the ball. Overtime, her heart slowly embedded further into her chest becoming less of problem to cover. However, it still shines bright that she would constantly worried that someone might notice. Once she finished tying the laces, the door to the lab opened as the Royal Advisor walked in.

Looking up, Mercy questioned, "Master, what happened?"

"I took you in for repair after I found you collapsed in your room. What you went through was force sleep."

"How did I get in the lab? I remember sealing the door to my Snow Room."

"Have you forgotten? Your magic was originally mine. You can keep the others out, but your magic doesn't work against me." the witch took a seat next to her servant.

Placing a hand over her chest, the water doll continues her questioning, "Master, why does my heart aches and hurts so badly?"

"It's because you're near the Princess that your heart hurts. Every time you developed that familial emotion around her, your heart hurts even from far away."

"What is that emotion, Master?"

"Love. Tsk, such a bothersome thing. A double edge fleeting feeling."

"But I don't feel such emotion in my heart unless..." Mercy trailed off. "Master, did you took away that feeling from my heart gem?"

"I don't want you to disappoint me again, Mercy. You might end up as a failure like your sister." Cailleach coldly answered.

"I'm sorry." the water doll lowered her head. "It won't happen again."

"Don't worry, I know it won't. You're far too precious." the woman replied. "You remind me of myself and I happily acknowledge you as my own daughter."

The witch drew the girl into a warm embrace, but despite the welcoming gesture, Mercy knew. This embrace was just shallow and cold. To put up a front that the Royal Advisor was a caring mother. However, nothing could changed Mercy's mind... Not after what had happen between Serafina and their creator. Immediately at the thought, Mercy felt something welling up in her eyes. It can't be tears, right? No, it must be her imagination. She was sad, for herself and for her sister.

 _'It's not fair to Serafina. She didn't ask to be rejected...'_ the doll closed her eyes.

 _At that time, she had followed her older sister into the forest. Of course, she didn't let her knew that she was there. Hiding behind a tree, the girl could only stood and pity Serafina as she cried, cursing her own existence. At that moment, Mercy felt powerless for the first time. However, that was just how she is. She can't do anything no matter how much she really wanted to do something. It was then that Mercy felt like she truly failed at being a sister. As if something inside her is slowly surfacing and awakening at the shocking revelation.  
_

 _"It's because you are a failure to begin with." her master had said to Serafina.  
_

She is in the exact position as her older sister. A bunch of sad existences.

 _'Just like... I didn't ask to be favored.'_ Mercy continued her melancholy thoughts.

More harsh words ring in her mind as her master explained herself, _"I initially wanted to create two water dolls, but I couldn't. You weren't suppose to exist. Just another useless puppet, a failed creation."_

 _'We're treated like dolls, not as humans.'_ Mercy concluded sadly. _'I don't want to continue living two lives, but I can't abandon my mission either...'_

She slowly opened her eyes as she gently pushed her master away. The gesture surprised the witch, but luckily the thought that she was rejecting the embrace didn't crossed her mind.

"Anyway, from now on, I doubled the mechanics of your heart. Overtime, any hint of betrayal that is in your heart - any of that reminiscence loving feeling you have... It shall be erased, but not before you suffer."

"But I-" she got cut off.

"Do not test my patience, Mercy. You should be grateful. Think of this as a small punishment. You are my favorite, but had I not given you this option, I wouldn't hesitant to simply discard you for your uselessness. Don't fail me again."

"Yes... Master." Mercy got up to kneeled on the floor.

"Very good. Continue on with your mission." the Royal Advisor instructed.

Mercy stood up and nodded before exiting the lab. Once she was sure that her master wasn't watching, she quicken her pace out of the room. Closing the door, Mercy sighed before leaning against a wall. She waited for a few minutes before walking back to her Snow Room. Her intention was to stay there for the remaining of the night and hoped that her sisters don't find her for questions. However, she thought too soon. When Mercy turned around the corner, she saw Brigid and Serafina running towards her.

"Mercy, where have you been?" her older sister questioned. "We didn't see you at the party."

The younger Royal Guard didn't answer right away and Brigid noticed that she was feeling down. But, as always, she continued to hide her emotions from showing on her face. Although, this time was different. She wasn't putting effort in hiding her emotions... As if it was out of nature now.

"Sera, can you please leave? I wished to talk with Merce alone." Brigid requested.

"Very well... If that's what you wish." Serafina replied as she begrudgingly turned to leave.

Alone with Mercy, Brigid addressed to her sister, "Something happened, didn't it?"

"Yeah..."

"Would you mind sharing your problems with me?"

"I'm sorry, Princess, but I can't... Not now. One day, I'll tell you... But until then, can you wait for a little while? The next time we are alone and when you're older, I'll tell you a secret of mine."

"Very well." Brigid accepts. As Mercy turned to leave, the girl called out to her. "Mercy. If you ever want to lift your burdens, you'll know where to find me."

"Thanks... Princess." she gave a sad smile before walking down the hallway that leads to her room.

* * *

Back in her room, Mercy was feeling down. Her face has a dull expression, her eyes were filled with hopelessness. Lowering her head, she released her hair from its bun, letting the ribbon get swept away by the gentle wind. Her long locks fall over her shoulders as she leaned against the door, thinking of what the Royal Advisor had told her.

 _"Overtime, any hint of betrayal that is in your heart - any of that reminiscence loving feeling you have... It shall be erased, but not before you suffer."_

 _'Just when I thought I could be happy... No, I have no rights to be happy. All of this - my existence - it's like a dream. I wished I could be human. It's only when I'm with Brigid that I feel like a human, but at every chance, I'm always dragged down, sinking into that cold, damned darkness once more. It's a reminder that I'm not a human - that what I want is just a dream.'_

In despair, she didn't notice a tear rolling down her cheek until she saw it fall onto the snow like raindrop. Snapping out of her thoughts, a tiny glimpse of hope returned to her eyes. Staring at the snow soaking in the tear, the Royal Guard became puzzled. Wiping the tears off her eyes, she stared at the droplets on her finger.

 _'Tears? That can't be. I wonder why...'_ she thought.

"Serafina is the emotional one..." she tried to smile, hoping to make a joke out of it. However, more tears started to fall. "Not me..."

Her smile fell as she collapsed on her knees. Covering her eyes with her hands, she felt even more sad and hopeless as snow started to fall more. In truth, she knows. She's no different from Serafina. Unlike her, however, Mercy never wears her emotions on her face. Instead, she put on a mask over it.

 _'At the very least, I sort of understand how you felt, Serafina, more or less. What being a failure is like, looking down at and frowned upon.'_

Despite her understanding, Mercy was aware of the feeling she is experiencing right now. It has stick with her for a long time. Ignored, but not forgotten. She was still jealous toward her older sister. In fact, it was Serafina who is the lucky one. All she ever wanted was the love of her sisters. Instead, she is forced to be kept at a distance, where the shadow was pulling her away from the light of hope... And the warmth of love. She is trapped in a cold world of hate and malice.

"It's just isn't fair." she whispered before collapsing completely.

Mercy was put into another forced sleep as she was being pulled into her subconsciousness. Diving in a sea of darkness, she couldn't tell which way was up or down. The only light she can see is her own body. The experience was actually bizarre. So many memories in small orbs of light float past her as she continues to sink further and further down.

Eventually reaching the bottom of her subconscious, the memories disappeared. Glimpses of her time with Brigid and Serafina quickly passed by. Confused, Mercy looked around her surroundings.

"Where... Am I?"

Suddenly, a cold voice proclaimed, "Despite you think you are a butterfly, you're sadly mistaken. Under the moonlight, your beautiful wings rot, revealing what you really are. A moth."

A girl around her age and height appeared. She has the same blonde hair styled like Mercy. The girl also has the same dress as her, except it was more of a darker shade of blue and grey. The only other difference was her eyes. It looked very grey... Like the color of quicksilver. For a moment, Mercy thought she saw a hint of sadness before it was overwhelmed with a prideful look.

"Who are you?" Mercy asked.

"Why, I am you, Mercy." the girl replied. "However, I go by a different name. Unlike you, Mercy, where your name means compassion, pity, empathy... My name is Meranda. It means-"

"Worthy of admiration." Mercy answered.

Smiling devilishly, Meranda remarked, "Actually, that isn't quite true. I'm not you exactly. More like... I'm my own person, but at the same time, I'm the part of you who isn't weak."

 _'Why does her tone sounds so much like Master all of a sudden? Full of pride and fault-finding?'_

Looking up, Mercy saw Meranda smiling at her as if she read her thoughts.

"Mercy, have you ever wondered why you looked exactly like me?" she questioned. When Mercy shook her head, Meranda answered, "Before the Royal Advisor woke you up, she couldn't take any more chances with you, especially with the other failed mercury servants... So she imbued your heart gem with a slither of her soul."

"My... Heart gem?" Mercy repeated, touching the blue core embedded in her chest.

"Yes." Meranda spitefully confirmed. "It mixed with a bit of your soul, forming a new entity... Me. That 'curse' in your heart gem, whenever you feel your heart hurting, was because of your struggles with me subconsciously."

"So that's why..." the water doll realized sadly.

"Face it, Mercy. You're the version of the mercury servant that I didn't want - the weak version of our master's - my - ideal image." Meranda taunts.

It all became clear. All this time, since the very beginning, it was hopeless after all. Everything finally made sense. Have you figured it out? Imagine two different stream running down a mountain. One of the stream contains pure water and the other contains pure toxic. Eventually, the two streams flows down and conjoined at one point, making the letter Y. With the new path, it contains both water and toxic. It's a new, separate liquid and yet, contains half of the two streams before it. Without the two streams connecting at one point, the new stream wouldn't have happened. That must be why this entity, Meranda, refers herself as both Mercy and the Royal Advisor. She is both servant and master. At the same time, she is herself.

"What do you want?" Mercy asked in a calm voice.

She tried to look emotionless and uninterested.

"It's not what I want. It's what you want. If you have second thoughts on your mission... Who knows? I might overwhelm you and corrupt your soul entirely so not a hint of love is traceable in you." Meranda playfully threatens.

"You wouldn't..."

"Hahaha, you're afraid of me, Mercy." Meranda taunted. As a result, she earned a slap across the face. However, she scoffed before letting out a haughty laugh, "Hahaha! How pathetic."

Mercy remained unfazed, simply staring with a blank expression, "Are you here to tell me something or to taunt me?"

"Actually, there is something I want to tell you. The hurting in your heart, your constant blackouts, your forced sleeps... All because of me. I would force you to sleep in order to talk, remind you of our mission. In your blackouts, that's when I'm in control, but you're never aware of it... Until now. Lucky for you, this is only the first time we met. I haven't taken control of your body yet."

"No..."

Laughing, Meranda also explained that now she is within Mercy's soul, she shall receive a taste of harsh reality. A sip of darkness... And once that darkness spread, it will be hard to find that light of hope. Eventually, it will be Mercy, herself, who destroys that hope along with that warmth of love.

Giving one more taunt, the fractured piece replied, "Please look forward to it."

* * *

Awaken from her force sleep, Mercy became conflicted with this new knowledge. Honestly, she doesn't know how to react. She felt a few emotions running rampage in her mind, but it only brought more confusion. Needing someone to talk to and to confide her feelings, Mercy changed out of her party clothes before leaving to find Serafina. Luckily for her, the older sister was at the Viewing Tower, not a surprise for Mercy. Every since Brigid had shown the area to Serafina, it has been a place where the sisters go.

The older Royal Guard - now in her normal clothes - was enjoying the sight of the stars, sitting on the stony borders with her legs dangling. A rather hazardous condition, but knowing Serafina, she loves to break rules. The same applies to Brigid. They both would either break rules or make their situation dangerous even if it was unintended.

"Serafina."

"Hey, Mercy." she greeted back.

"Can I talk to you?"

"Um... Sure?"

Sitting next to her older sister, Mercy sighed, "Do you remember what I said at the party? About how you should embrace your flaws and faults?"

"Yes?"

"Well, do you like your flaws and faults? Or do you wish you could have been perfect?"

Serafina became quiet. It wasn't a topic she felt comfortable speaking so lightly. Nevertheless, she gave her response.

"There was this time when something happen. It made me questioned myself. As much as it hurts me, I kind of hate myself, despite what Brigid had told me. I resented you because you're what Master finds pleasing."

"Really?" Mercy scoffed. "That's ironic... Because I kind of wished I could be more like you."

"What?" the older Royal Guard turned, a look of shock was on her face.

"For a while, I thought I could blissfully live with my sisters and do my job at the same time. When I first woke up, I realized that I wasn't created like you. I was created to be perfect... And that makes me unhappy." Mercy explained. "Expectations are thrown at me because I am perfect. But even then, I tried to be perfect because I thought that if I continue to do everything right, then Master would be happy."

A memory flashed in my mind, the time when she fought with Serafina. That time when her older sister insisted that what she did was just to please their Master. It wasn't her choice, but the Royal Advisor's. The younger Royal Guard started to think about what Meranda had told her.

 _"_ _You're the version of the mercury servant that I didn't want - the weak version of our master's - my - ideal image."_

A bitter smile spread on her face as she continued, "I thought that she would smile at me and loved me. Despite I love the Princess, I can't interact with her as much as you do. So I thought that because I was created to resemble our Master's thinking, she would be more understanding and that I could make her happy... Even if I was unable to make my own choices."

"Then why don't you spend more time with Brigid and me? Be a little more selfish and forget of our mission?" Serafina suggested.

"Easy for you to say." Mercy began to frown. "Even if I wanted to, I can't. I realized that it's impossible."

"What do you mean?"

"After years of living like this and enjoying my time as much as I can, there will always be a constant reminder that I'm not human and that living a happy life isn't part of my purpose. I guess... Overtime, I'm starting to become hopeless and tired of trying anymore. I can rarely try expressing my emotions anymore. Every smile on my face are becoming fake. This is the real me, Serafina. Sad and hopeless, cold and distant."

"Real you?"

"We all have our real selves hidden somewhere. Our weakness, our flaws, they're part of our real selves." Mercy continued. "Humans tend to hide what they deemed as their weaker sides. They paint over what they deemed imperfect, trying to recreate themselves in a different image... But it's not really them. That's not who they are, just an illusion created to make others value them."

"Mercy, where are you getting from this?"

"I know the real you, Serafina. You're not a girl afraid of disappointing others like I initially thought. No... In truth, you're a girl who wants to live happily with no regrets... But you're also afraid of being betrayed by the ones you value because of your failures... Just like with Master."

"How did you-" Serafina paused. "You saw, didn't you?"

"I did." Mercy confirms. "I saw when Master revealed her true nature. A cold hearted woman who is just as you claimed her to be. A woman who've wallowed herself in hatred for so long... That she became as prideful as the people who've hurt her."

"Yeah..." Serafina sadly agreed.

She thought back to that time despite she didn't want to remember. However, she felt that she was pointing out her master's faults. Eventually, Serafina snapped out of the thoughts to see her younger sister laughing.

"I'm such an idiot." the younger Royal Guard giggled.

"Mercy..."

"I've been blindingly following Master like an obedient little puppet for years when I've failed to see her for what she truly is." tears were falling despite she was smiling sadly, "But I've realized my mistake too late and because of that... My heart..."

She place a hand on her chest, feeling the cold gem reacting bitterly.

"Mercy, you're-" Serafina got cut off.

"I know." Mercy insisted as she wipe away the bothersome tears with her finger. "Whenever the thought of me being taken advantage of by that woman, my tears come out pitying me, you, and the Princess."

"Well, I don't blame you for that..." Serafina commented.

There was some silence between the sisters until Mercy suddenly asked a particular question, "Serafina, answer this question honestly. Are you afraid of me?"

"I'm sorry?"

"I did told you of your real self. You don't want people who are close to you ending up betraying you. For a long time, you and Master were never on the good foot, but you at least trusted Master until she hurts you with the truth. So, I'm asking, as the perfect creation that Master ideals and made sure that I having the same thinking as her, are you afraid that I'll eventually betray you too?"

"I-" Serafina stopped as she became conflicted with her answer.

She wasn't sure. However, she remembered when the Royal Advisor had revealed the truth about her. Imagining Mercy, her younger sister, to end up hurting her one day... She doesn't want to imagine it. Seeing that Serafina was having a difficult time answering, Mercy sighed, having known what the answer is. They both know the answer... It's just one of them didn't want to admit it.

"Very well, allow me to assure you of your worries. I, Mercy, will never betray you." she promised. In a small voice, she added, "However, I can't promise that the other me will follow."

She was relief that Serafina didn't heard what she said regarding Meranda, but that didn't stopped her from wondering about Brigid's true self. However, Mercy countered that they already saw the girl's real side... Since the very beginning. The Princess was very perspective upon meeting them on their first day and was eager to learn more about the sisters ever since. It must have been her intuition when she noticed that Mercy rarely expressed emotions. So she drew the conclusion that there was more to them than being her guards.

"If what you said is correct, then I wonder why she hasn't spoken to us about it." Serafina remarked.

"She probably has been aware that we weren't showing our real selves. She isn't the type of person who would demand or give out orders. That's why she was the first to reveal her true side, taking the first step."

"She laughs with us, cries for us, sympathized along with us." Serafina smiled at all the fond times.

"The Princess is the type of person who cares and give to others. Her true self... Is a simplistic girl whose warm smile brighten up our world."

"Just like hope." Serafina finished.

"Serafina, do you want to know what my weakness is?" the younger sister questioned. When there was no answer, she smiled, "You don't have to answer. I'd still tell you anyway. The truth is... I'm afraid my feelings will betray me despite I want to experience more. Most importantly, I'm concerned that love will betray me."

"How can love betray you?"

"Whether it's the love between family or for someone else, I'm worried the emotion will be used against me. That is why I am hopeless. I want to feel, but I'm also afraid of getting hurt. I don't want to be emotionless, yet I can't hate that aspect of me either. Maybe... It's better that I simply closed off my emotions. It would be too painful. Maybe... Everything that I want was just wishful thinking."

Suddenly, she felt her head turned with force. Placing a hand on her cheek, Mercy was a bit surprised that she has been slapped.

"Quit being so somber. I can't take anymore of it!" Serafina yelled. "I won't allow you to just beat yourself down like that!"

"Beat myself down? But you do the same thing." Mercy counters. With a smile - a real genuine one - she sadly noted, "Despite we are completely different in personality and appearance, in truth, Serafina, we are the same. We both hate ourselves and are envious of the other. Even now - even after we both have confessed - we both still are envious of each other. Am I right?"

"You're right, I'll admit. I'm still resentful towards you and I can't seem to accept myself fully, but..." Serafina trailed off. Shaking her head, she insisted, "It doesn't matter, you can't think badly of yourself. As the older sister, I forbid you from thinking like that."

The mercury servant snuffled a laugh, "Ordering me around like that? Very well... You're always thinking of others before yourself. That's one of the aspects I like about you."

"Really? I'm flattered." Serafina joked a bit.

Staring at the stars, the younger sister sighed, "Still, it doesn't change the fact that we were created, not born. Our stone-like hearts that beats, pulsing magic in us... We have to constantly hide it. We can't defy our master nor escape the fate she plans for us. Everything we do is inevitable. Our purpose and creation are proof of it."

"Mercy..."

"Which is why I want to give you one last piece of wisdom. Keep the Princess' promise and never change. Because it's your flaws that makes you unique. If you make a mistake, learn from it and improve it. If there is a point in time that you realized your mistake, do something to change it. You can never erased it, but you can do something to change the outcome of that mistake. That is my wish - no, that is my first and last order to you, Serafina."

"Mercy, why do you sound like something bad is going to happen? If not now, then in the future?"

The younger guard looked at the sky before turning around, taking her eyes off from the stars. Feeling her feet lightly touching the stone concrete, she made sure to keep her expression away from Serafina.

"One day... Something will happen. It's quite possible that the butterfly will make a grave mistake in the future and it will already be too late to change it. That mistake... Will most likely cause the butterfly her life. After all, she was never perfect to begin with. She simply thought she was."

* * *

 **1) I will admit, I was curious of what Serafina would look like wearing a dress. I base her reaction to mine, because fun fact about me is that I also don't feel comfortable wearing dresses or skirts. I might be able to tolerate it if I'm wearing tights.  
**

 **2) Now, the parables have mentioned many times that Mercy loves Brigid and Serafina, but Serafina claims that she doesn't. So, I interpreted that something must have happened with Mercy that made her try to distance herself. She still interacts with Serafina and would share some things. But she would never explain the entire problem to both of them. If that won't work out, then I still have something at the end that will eventually lead to DP 14.  
**

 **3) Um... I wasn't sure exactly how to make Mercy feel bad. Since she was faking her emotions in the game, I didn't really know how to make her feel... Real? But in this story, this happens before the event that made her who she is in the game. So the last scene was really a meant to be a heartfelt one, but Mercy is the most complex character that I'm just not sure what she was thinking. As a writer, I'm a bit frustrated that I can't get inside her little head.  
**

 **4) Obviously, Mercy is represented by a blue butterfly and Serafina by a red moth since that's what happened in the game.**

 **5) Initially, I wanted to give Mercy's other self a different name, that doesn't differ from her own. The first name right away was Merces, however, I don't want the name to be confused with Mercy's nickname. So I had to give a different name with a different meaning. It sorta works. It has the "Mer" part and the meaning sounds very... Haughty-like... Especially if Meranda considered herself the better vision of Mercy and the servant the Royal Advisor liked most. There is a lot to who Meranda is, but I'm not telling you.  
**

 **Don't worry guys. Soon, you'll understand what I'm trying to convey. But don't judge Meranda yet.  
**

 **6) I'm getting the vibe of the overall theme between the sisters is "showing your true self". It's not about being honest, but showing what you really are through actions. Mercy's emotionless mask hides the real her which we rarely see. Serafina may express more emotions, but the real her is more than just that. We've seen her real side in the game. She is a girl who wants to be with her sister. Hence why I felt that another contribution of her real self is that she is afraid of being betrayed by those she loved. In the game, she is betrayed by Mercy (or is it really Mercy?) which forced her to reveal her true self. You guys already know about Brigid's true side. Not just mentioned in this chapter or in the parables, but also at the end of the game.**

 **7) Ooh, what is Mercy planning? That ending sentence, what meaning does it has, I wonder?**

 **So... How much do you hate the Royal Advisor now? Just curious because we aren't even close to being done with her yet. We're never done with her. Not until she set up everything that leads to the 14th game, and not until she plan for one last thing on her agenda.**

 **Anyway, please remember to review. See you soon.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Personally, this would have been better posted on February 1st, but I'm not going to make you guys wait that long. At the same time, we will never know any of these characters' real birthday. Anyway, enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 9: Your New Birthday

Three years have passed and quickly approaching was Brigid's tenth birthday. It was a special day that the girl was too excited to sleep. It was also evident that the girl grew into a lovely young maiden. She now wears dresses that has a bit more darker shades of green compared to the light green she wore as a child. Dressed in middle sleeves, dark Peridot green corset and forest green overskirt over the first glittering black with gold trims, Brigid put on long white socks and green slippers before putting on a new tiara. She quickly brushed her hair as she looked at the mirror. Her hair has out grown, reaching mid-back. Putting down the brush, the girl took a purple ribbon and tied it into a bow in front of the neckline.

In the early morning, she sneaked out of the palace to the Flower Meadow. It was her tenth birthday, so she could have a little fun. Despite it was technically still winter, because of the barrier, some patches of snow landed on the ground. At the same time, the barrier also keep out the cold, which allows flowers to blossom. As Brigid sat down in the field of flowers, picking the plants, she wasn't aware that someone was watching her from the dark. He has been secretly watching. Despite he can't get through, he was at least grateful to catch a glimpse of his daughter from time to time.

"Happy birthday, my little hope." Nuada smiled fondly at the girl, "She has grown up to look so much like you, Wanda."

He continued to watched over her. Despite seeing his daughter in joy made him happy that she was doing okay, it also made him feel sad. Was she happy here? Did King Henryk raised her well? The Daemon Prince started to frown. What if she doesn't want to go back home? What if _this_ is her home now? What he wants started to conflict with the possibilities of what his daughter wants. Of course, he wants her to be happy, but he also wants her to come back to Solwood.

 _'Maybe... Maybe, we can think of a compromise, Henryk.'_ he thought.

He continues to watch as his daughter was picking flowers to make crowns out of them. Oh, there were so many to choose from! Picking pink, orange, yellow, and white, the Salt Princess had the flowers in her skirt as she started to pick blue, green, and purple ones. Eventually, the darken sky slowly brighten up. Rays of the sun split the dark blue colors. Humming happily, Brigid kept on picking flowers and connecting them to her crown. Lost in happy thoughts, she continued humming a melody until she paused.

Strange. Where had she heard that melody before? Sadly, she still doesn't remember. Everything about her past was a blur. Maybe it came from a song she heard somewhere? Shaking her head, she resumed working. Warm colors for Serafina and cool colors for Mercy.

After some time, her guards finally caught up with her. They looked exhausted and who could blamed them? On the day of their little sister's birthday, they find her room empty with no trace. Alarmed, the Royal Guards were in a state of panic that early morning as they searched everywhere in the palace to find their Princess missing. Having finally found her, they have a few words they'd like to say.

"Princess, do not leave in the earliest of mornings ever again." Mercy half scolded between breaths. "We were really worried about you!"

"Sorry..." the girl answered sheepishly.

"Anyway... Happy birthday, Princess Brigid." Serafina smiled.

"Aw, thank you very much, Sera." Brigid replied as she resumed with her flower crowns.

The guards looked at one another for a minute before turning their attention back at the girl.

"Princess, you should return home before your father becomes as worried as us." Mercy suggested.

"She's right. After all, today is your birthday." the older sister agrees.

The Princess slightly frowned as she continued to work. She was well aware that Serafina would call her by her name, but never in front of Mercy when it was the three of them. The older sister was worried that Mercy would reprehend her for being "disrespectful". Only when it was the two of them or with Mercy alone, would Serafina drop the formalities.

"Serafina, Mercy, why do you refer me as 'Princess'? We're friends, after all, and you're my sisters. Just call me 'Brigid', like you normally do."

"It's not polite if we addressed you otherwise, Princess." Mercy insisted.

The girl sighed as she slumped quietly... Until she has an idea.

With an impish smile, the girl replied, "Very well, then I would like to proclaim my first official order as the Grak Princess. Serafina, Mercy, you two are to call me by my name and only my name when we're together. If there happens to be an occasion that specifically request formalities, then you shall address me by the title. Is that understood?"

"Y-Yes, Princess."

"No, you got it wrong, Mercy! It's Brigid!" the girl giggled.

"R-Right..."

"As you wish, Brigid." Serafina gave a bow, also taking her hat off.

Giving Brigid a kiss on the hand, the older sister is gifted with a flower crown of sunset color on her head. Mercy simply watched until the Princess turned her attention towards her. With the most cheerful smile ever, the girl gave her a flower crown.

"Thank you... Brigid." Mercy replied.

Delighted at being called by her name, the girl giggled before hugging her sisters, "This is the best present ever."

* * *

As the sisters make their way back to the palace, a thought suddenly came into Brigid's mind. She stops and turned around to face the Royal Guards, startling the sisters.

"Sera, Merce, when is your birthday?"

Looking at her older sister, Mercy answered with her own question, "Why do you ask, Brigid?"

"We've been together for a long time, but... I've never seen you two celebrate your birthdays at all. Not even once." the Princess pointed out.

The guards were surprised. They didn't expect a question like that so suddenly.

After some silence have passed, it was Serafina who answered, "We don't know."

"I don't think we even have a birthday." Mercy respond.

"So... You never have presents before?" the child asked, feeling a little sorry.

"No." both sisters confirmed.

"Then can we make up a birthday?" Brigid's eyes widen as she became excited.

"Sure...?" Mercy replied uncertainly.

Jumping up and down, full of joy, the girl immediately declared, "Well then, from this point forward, your birthday is going to be on the same day as mine on February first. Happy Birthday, Serafina, Mercy!"

The sisters had a puzzled and confused looked on their face until it eventually turned into a warm smile as Brigid turned around. In her rush, however, she nearly tripped.

"Brigid!" Serafina exclaimed, catching the girl before she could reach the ground. "Are you okay?"

"What happened?" Mercy wondered.

"I-I don't know. I suddenly feel tired all of the sudden." Brigid respond, feeling confused herself.

"I think you shouldn't sneak out in the morning or else you'll become tired." Mercy insisted. "Let's go."

At the dining room, Mercy and Serafina were astound. They have seen what humans do on their birthdays, but this year seemed to be more extravagant. Then again, all the previous celebrations weren't celebrated largely because of the other traditions. They say the tenth birthday was special too... From this room alone, many decorations hung around the walls, so many vibrant colors. The table has so much food and desserts that is looked grand for a big feast!

"I've never seen this much food on the table before, more than a regular feast." Serafina mused.

"It's a joyous event, Serafina. Of course, the table will be filled with this much food." Mercy replied, feeling a little exasperated by her older sister's antics.

"If you say so." the older sister simply shrugged off the remark.

As a cooking servant came out with a small cake, Serafina immediately got taken in by the sweet smell. From the scent, the Royal Guard can tell that the dessert has many mix of other pleasant smells. Even from the look, she could tell that the cake was going to be good.

A mischievous smile spread on her face as the three of them were getting closer to the table. Barely passing by the dessert, Serafina tried to take a frosted cherry, but Mercy - having saw her older sister eyeing the cake - swat her hand away.

"Ow! What was that for?!" Serafina hissed quietly so Brigid wouldn't hear.

"The cake is made for Brigid. You can't eat that until she has her first slice!" Mercy scolded in a whisper. "Besides, it's not even the birthday cake."

A sly smile spread on Serafina's face as she gave her younger sister an amusing look, "Oh, I see Brigid is starting to break the ice."

"Oh, you!" the younger Royal Guard hit her older sister in the arm.

Serafina laughed teasingly before joining Brigid followed by Mercy afterwards.

* * *

After some time, the sisters parted and went their separate halls. Brigid was very excited and upon entering her room, she immediately started to work. It was so exciting! To share her birthday with her sisters. However, the Salt Princess didn't really know what to give to her precious Royal Guards. She never have given much even though she really wanted to. In her room, the girl was pondering over what to do before looking outside her window. Seeing the Old Town from her balcony, the girl smiled for an idea has come into mind.

Meanwhile, Serafina and Mercy were in the Fire Room, figuring on the same problem. They didn't know what to give to her. Or rather, they didn't know what to make to give to her. After a long time of pondering on what Brigid would like for her tenth birthday, Serafina came up with an idea.

"We can make little dolls of ourselves and Brigid."

"That's a good idea, but we will probably need something to keep the dolls in place. Otherwise, the Prince - I mean Brigid might lose them despite her tidiness." Mercy counters.

"Good point." the older Royal Guard suddenly paused, "Um... What are we going to use to make the dolls?"

"We could use magic."

"Wouldn't that defeat the purpose of a birthday present?"

"...Well, why not use magic for our dolls and make Brigid's doll by hand?" the younger sister suggest.

"I guess it will have to do. This is our first time making a present for Brigid..." Serafina reluctantly agreed.

Making a small doll version of themselves were easy and didn't take much time. It looked exactly like them. When it comes with Brigid's doll and the stage, the sisters divided the work. Serafina took charge in building the stage while Mercy worked on the Princess Doll. With more time, it resembles more like Brigid now. At least, to Mercy, the doll was more like a flower ready to bloom.

"Haa...!"

Suddenly, a sharp gasp escapes from her mouth as Mercy grasped at her heart gem. Serafina, having heard of the discomforting sound, glanced over her shoulders to see her sister slumped over.

Concerned, the older sister inquired, "Mercy, are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah..." she turned around to give a smile, although it looked awry. As the pain returned, she tried to keep the pain in her voice from escaping to spare Serafina of her worries. "I-I'll be right back!"

"W-Wait! Mercy!" Serafina stood up from her seat, but Mercy had already left the room.

Hastily, she tried to get away as far as possible. Allowing her body to melt into a swirl of water, she quickly travel pass hallways and around corners until she reached her Snow Room. Entering the double doors, Mercy materialized and shut the doors before leaning her back against it. Looking at her chest, she could see her core glowing a faint blue light. It was beating heavily again. Alone in her room, Mercy rested her head against the door as she tried to bear with the pain for a while, waiting for it to subsided. It was an agonizing ten minutes until the pain went away.

Gasping for air, Mercy began to feel light headed. Sweating from her hot face, she can feel her body overheating. It wasn't long until her legs gave out on her and she collapse on her knee.

 _'I can't think about Brigid too often. If I do, Meranda would be winning this battle against me within my inner turmoil.'_ she thought. _'What should I do?'_

Looking up at her reflection in a mirror, the water doll realizes something. Getting up and running towards the mirror, she got a closer look at her reflection. What if... It wasn't with herself she is fighting against? What if Meranda isn't really her enemy? If that's the case, then the real enemy she is fighting against is...

* * *

Meanwhile, aware that the Royal Guards were busy in their room, Brigid sneaks out of the palace once again. This time, she went to the town. Wearing a simple cloak and servant's clothing so no one from the palace will recognize her, the Princess left the Grak Palace again. If she doesn't get caught leaving, perhaps her sisters won't get blamed by her father. Besides, she wasn't going to leave for long. Just enough to find what she wants.

Taking her chances in the Old Town, Brigid began asking a few villagers her question. Alas, some answers didn't help. Some villagers were either busy or paid her no mind. She didn't blame them. After all, she was dressed like a common servant of the palace. Then again, the girl didn't mind. She was glad to not be paid attention at. However, she really need to find an answer soon. Sighing, the girl sat down at the edge of the fountain, pondering on what to do now.

"Is something the matter?" a voice asked.

Turning to the sound of the voice, Brigid found a poor fruit seller.

"Oh, I've asked many villagers what present I should get for people I care for." Brigid explains.

"A present? Is it someone's birthday?"

"It's their first time celebrating." the girl replied. "But I don't know what to give them."

"I can give you an idea." the woman suggest. "And I can tell you where to find it."

The kind old woman urged for the Princess to come closer. Interested, Brigid move further as the woman lean over and whispered something into her ear. After she finished, Brigid felt this satisfying feeling.

"Dziękuję, dobra pani." she thanked.

"To nie problem. A pleasure helping the Princess." the old woman winked.

Brigid thanked the woman again and was about to turn to leave, but she stopped. Glancing over her shoulder, she could see that the woman looked very poor. Apparently, she is taking care of her family since three young children came huddling around her. Feeling pity for her, the Salt Princess called out for her attention before summoning a few salt dragonflies. When the old woman cupped her hand, the dragonflies dissolved into a pile of salt. Hopefully with this, the woman can sell the salt for anything she or the children want.

Satisfied, she returned home. Well... Not exactly. There was a slight detour she will have to go first before returning to the Grak Palace. On her way, Brigid thought back over the years. From what memories served her, over the years, she has always wondered when were her sisters' birthday. You would think that over these six years, she would have asked, but the thought never cross her mind.

She would have thought that one day, they would exclaim that its their birthday, but they never did. Reminiscing over the past, Brigid remembered that she would always sneak out early to search for materials to make her sisters' their birthday presents. She would work on it, gathering the necessary items, but never had the chance to give them their gift. But today is going to be different. It may be simple, but it will contain six years of love. Of course, she'll have to get the necessary requirements she need.

Carefully entering the Salt Mine, Brigid travel further deep to find what she needs. Normally, salt can be found very easily near the surface. However, further down the mines, one might be able to find crystals and minerals other than salt. Lucky for her, she won't have to travel too deep within the mines. Very soon, it didn't took long for her to successfully retrieve what she needed. Leaving the Salt Mine, the Princess made her way back home. As she was sneaking back to her room, Brigid noticed the door to Serafina's Fire Room opened.

Taking a peek, she saw Serafina tinkering with something. She was sitting on a stool, building some sort of stage. After a while, the Princess notice a trail of water heading toward the Fire Room. Aware that the watery swirls was Mercy, Brigid hid as her sister passed her, entering the room. Once she knew that she hasn't been spotted, the girl resume to secretly peek on her sisters.

"Where did you go?" Serafina questioned, concerned about the way Mercy had left earlier.

"I had to check something." Mercy answered.

 _'She's clearly isn't telling the truth...'_ Brigid thought. _'But I don't think she is lying either.'_

Apparently, Serafina was being skeptic with that answer. Turning around to fully faced her sister, the older Royal Guard had her arms crossed, looking at Mercy with a quizzical look.

"Are you really sure? You sounded like something was wrong."

"It doesn't matter." Mercy tried to get the subject dropped. "How are you doing with Brigid's present?"

Serafina gave one last look before sighing, "Well, I'm nearly finished with the stage..."

Trying to take her prying eyes away from the scene, Brigid started to tiptoe away from the door. She didn't want to hear or see anymore of what her sisters are trying to make. Finally reaching her room, the Salt Princess locked her door and began to make her present. Time has passed. Although Brigid hadn't look up at the clock to check the time, she felt like time has indeed passed. Taking out all the materials she has saved up in her jewelry box and the crystals she has taken from the Salt Mine, the girl opened the box as the content inside are dumped on the floor. Looking at all the scattered items on the floor, she recalled the separate memories that each of these items contain.

Back when she was five years old, she bought golden and silver chains from a shop. A year later, she got two gems from her old friend, Fand. The gems were rubellite and aqua aura. She recalled taking them to a blacksmith who crafted the gems into heart shaped. The third year, she didn't have an idea at the time, so she got salt instead, having them encased within the heart shaped charm. During the fourth and sixth year, Brigid had gotten small gift boxes and silk inside. And now, on her tenth birthday, she got blue kyanite and red sillimanite crystals from the Salt Mine. All together, this will make a present with six years of love.

"Now, let's get to work." she smiled.

* * *

At night, with a big feast at the dining room, everyone was waiting for the birthday girl to arrive. She was late, more so than her previous birthdays. King Henryk was a bit anxious. Today is his daughter's tenth birthday. Was was keeping her so long? The sisters were waiting patiently, although, they were trying their best to contain their excitement.

The Royal Advisor paid no mind. The girl was of insignificance, especially during this age. However, the witch will admit, now the Princess was four years away from her 14th birthday. Four more years of waiting with these impudent fools. Oh, how she wished those years come quickly. She really wants to perform that special ceremony.

Eventually, the doors opened to reveal Brigid. She was clearly in a rush based on the fact that she looked tired. Was she running? Did she lost track of time and immediately started running from her room to the dining room? Regardless, everyone paid no mind. It is her birthday. Today, all her excuses are forgiven.

Standing up, Henryk gestures for his daughter to join him, "Princess Brigid, may you accompany us on this fine feast?"

"Yes, Father." she smiled. Seeing the King giving her a look, she blushed, "Er... Yes, Your Majesty."

Embarrassed for calling her father by an affectionate term, the Salt Princess looked down as she walked over to her seat. With his daughter now joining them, King Henryk gestures for the chief to bring out the cake. Everyone was surprised once the chief brought out a three layered cake made out of cookie dough with chocolate frosting and fudge drizzles. On each layers were strawberries, five on base, four in the second layer, and one lone on the top. All the strawberries were dipped from the chocolate of the cake.

"Whoa..." Serafina whispered in awe.

"I know." Mercy whispered back.

Cailleach only scoffed in response after hearing the sisters marvel over the dessert. The chef started cutting the cake, giving Brigid the highest layer with the lone strawberry on top. Brigid knew that her father would always spoiled her. Maybe because she was the reminder of her mother, but she didn't want to be spoiled. So, after ordering the chief to cut her cake into three slices - much to his confusion - once her father wasn't looking, Brigid quickly made an excuse before gesturing for her sisters to follow her.

Once alone, she gave them the two slices that she had the chief cut for her. The Royal Guards were touched, especially Serafina, who was delighted. After the sisters ate the Princess' shared cake, they return to the dining room to resume with everything else. No suspecting. They softly giggled at that. With dinner and dessert finished, everyone knew what time it was. It's present time!

Leading Brigid to a room, King Henryk opened the door to reveal a room full of presents. Many of the villagers wanted to give her a gift since they greatly love her. The Princess has gained many things, but she saved the presents her sisters will give to her. Every time when Mercy or Serafina wanted to give her their present, she would always deny the request. After all, save the best for last, right? After opening many gifts, eventually... There was one last present left. It was very large that Serafina and Mercy have to carried it to the Princess.

Clapping her hands with glee, Brigid carefully unwrapped the giant gift until it revealed a stage with little dolls of them. She could tell that they put a lot of time and effort into making this and she was pleased. Happily, she embraced her sisters, but for some odd reason, Mercy looked a bit hesitant. It was also like she didn't want to join in. Was she feeling too tired from making the present? Serafina didn't noticed, but Brigid kept a note of it. She doesn't want to make her sister feel worried, especially on her birthday. Now that the gift giving and opening has been finished, it was time for them to go sleep. Everyone has left, it was only the three of them in the room now...

"Should we go to our rooms?" Serafina asked.

"The celebration is over." Mercy answered.

Before they could leave, however, Brigid stopped them, "Merce, Sera, wait."

They stopped and turned around to see the girl pulling out something from underneath a cushion. She had two tiny gifts wrapped in red and blue in her hands. Walking up to them, she pressed the presents into their hands.

"What is this?" Serafina questioned.

"It's your birthday present, silly." she teased.

"Oh, Brigid, we can't accept these." Mercy softly spoke.

"But I insist. That is my order." Brigid smiled innocently.

The Royal Guards looked at each other before taking the wrappers off, finding a black gift box that looked identical to the other. However, whatever content inside was not the same. Opening the box up, the sisters gasped in surprise at what Brigid had given them. What lays in the silk within the gift box are charm bracelets.

Serafina's has a golden chain with little quartz of sillimanite around with the main gem, rubellite, shaped into a heart. Mercy's was the same, except hers have kyanite crystals and an aqua aura heart around a silver chain.

"Thank you, Brigid." Serafina gave her a hug, joined with Mercy.

"It is your birthday, after all." the girl insisted.

"We always wear it, we promise." Mercy replied, putting the bracelet on her wrist as Serafina does the same.

After all, how could they not? It is a gift from the Princess who brings salt.

After the gift giving, the sisters went to the Viewing Tower to watch the stars. There, they started to tell stories. And of course, it was the middle sister's turn to tell a tale. Mercy talked about a story involving a blue bird that brings happiness to those who can catch it. They say that only those with pure hearts can see this magical bird and since children are the most innocent, the blue bird would often be spotted by children from all around the world. Of course, the parents would never believe them, thinking that it's just a make believe story that the children created.

"Do you think we'll get to see the Blue Bird of Happiness one day?" Brigid asked excitedly.

"I don't know. Some say that the bird would appear in your dreams if you're in search for happiness." Mercy answered. "Do you really want to find it?"

The Princess thought for a moment before coming up with an answer, "No."

"Why?" Serafina questioned.

"Because I'm already happy. I don't need to search for happiness if I already have what I wanted. I'm grateful to have you two here with me. That is enough to make me happy." the girl smiled so innocently.

That brought smiles on the sisters' faces. Brigid always think like this. She was definitely different. Grateful, considerate, and loving. They stopped the story there for there really isn't anymore to tell. Just sitting here, watching the stars was enough for them. There were no need for words or gestures because they already knew.

This life is just perfect for them. Staring at the beautiful starry sky, the sisters pointed up as a shooting star streaks along the horizon.

* * *

 **Finally, until six chapters straight, Mercy finally calls Brigid by her name and her name only! To be honest, I was getting a bit tired of having to make sure that Mercy called Brigid "Princess". Only 5 more worth of chapters of no more "Princess".**

 **1) Technically, I guess the day Serafina and Mercy were created is when they are "born" which is somewhere on August of 1915, but I really wanted a tender moment between the sisters, so why not make them have the same birthday on Feb 1st?**

 ***Remember, way back in chapter 2, Brigid was four years old (recently, meaning it was a few days after her birthday). I had a six month time skip (which is on August) to mention what happen during the war. To Wanda, it has been days after the six months since Nuada left to aid his people. After Wanda's death, brought the conclusion to the war. In chapter 3, three days passed since all the chaos. That should be near the end of August, which ties perfectly to the Zodiac sign for Virgo (making Mercy's birthday specifically more believable to be on Aug 23-31).**

 **2) The line that Brigid said was in Poland. It translate to "thank you, kind lady."**

 **3) The woman answered back in Poland, "It's no problem."**

 **4) The title for the chapter is just as it says. Serafina and Mercy have a new birthday. I love making the bonds between them and Brigid more stronger. Such a shame that it eventually broke.**

 **5) The story Mercy told at the end was about Maeterlinck's The Blue Bird.**

 **Also, did you caught one big thing in this entire chapter? No? Well, I won't be telling you. All I have to say is pay attention to small details... Or you might miss the context.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hello everyone! Happy Thanksgiving, the day where we are thankful for something. Today, we have a new chapter. Hopefully, you guys will find this as entertaining and somewhat confusing. Enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 10: Love You like Salt

Today was a fun day. The fun time of the year... And the most mischievous. At first, Brigid thought that today was going to be a normal day. She was sadly mistaken, especially when she has fallen for one of Serafina's traps. Having opened the door to the living room, Brigid felt the weight of heavy clothes dumped on top of her. Popping her head from the pile of clothes, the Princess was puzzled. She wasn't hurt luckily, but that doesn't help with her confusion. As the girl struggled out of the clothes, Serafina called out to her.

"Brigid!" immediately, the Royal Guard rushed over to help the eleven year old. Pulling her out of the pile, she sheepishly apologize, "Sorry..."

"It's okay, but what was that?" Brigid questioned, looking at the top of the door to see where the clothes have fallen from.

Attached to the door knob was a string that leads to the top of the doorway. Where the string ends was a basket where the clothes were kept. Realizing that after she opened the door, she must have triggered the string to pull on the basket, letting all the clothes to fall where she stood. Finally, she turned her attention back to her older sister.

"Hehehe... It was a prank meant for Mercy." Serafina nervously laughed.

"Mercy? Why would you want to prank Merce?"

"Well, my beloved Princess, today is April Fool's Day."

"April Fool's Day?" the girl repeated, tilting her head to the side.

"The one time of the year where everyone play pranks on the other. They're harmless, of course." Serafina explained.

"How come I never heard about it?"

"It's something that only the townspeople play and Mercy never participate in such fun. I usually would get into trouble with her because of the many times she fell for my pranks." the older sister explained merrily. "And of course, I would never prank you."

"Did you prank Mercy all those other times because it's more fun?"

"That too, but I wanted to prank Mercy on every April Fool's. You know she can be very stoic sometimes. She had it coming for being so perfect."

"She can be a bit serious with her duties as my guard..." Brigid trailed off, agreeing.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the Grak Palace, Mercy was walking down a hallway. She was very cautious today because it's April Fool's. Just this morning, her sister had melted the ice steps in her Snow Room. And unbeknownst that Serafina would pull a prank this early, Mercy had fallen onto the floor. Though the soft snow softens her landing, it was frustrating that she fallen in the first place. Now, Mercy would be looking around her shoulders every once in a while.

Paranoid that Serafina would jump out of nowhere with a new prank on her, the Royal Guard tried to keep a lookout. There would also be a time when her older sister would speak ill of her by intentional means so she can have her sneezing. They have discovered the sneezing after Serafina once spoke badly of her one time. It was harmless of course, but it would always be full of sass. Ever since then, she would do it on purpose with each April Fool's. Speaking of talking ill, Mercy suddenly sneezed as she turned around the corner.

"Choo!"

"Na zdrowie." a voice told her.

Looking up, Mercy smiled as she bowed in front of King Henryk. She did noticed a jewel that has been pocketed by the King, but it was still visible. When asked about the piece of jewelry, the King answered that it was the only item he treasured, but he didn't specified why. The subject was dropped immediately. She was grateful when he handed her a handkerchief.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." the Royal Guard happily took the handkerchief.

"Did you caught the cold, Mercy?"

"No, Your Majesty. I'm sorry. Someone is talking ill about me again. It's only natural that it has come. After all, it is that time of the year."

"I'm sorry, but what is this 'it' you're talking about?" King Henryk became confused.

"Once every year, a creature would arrive on April Fool's Day. And it looks like it's scheming something against me." Mercy sighed, closing her eyes.

"What?"

Opening her eyes, the younger Royal Guard exclaimed, "It's that hot headed monster again!"

In her vast mind of imagination. Mercy has an image of Solais spewing fire with Serafina's face on it. She was the dragon destroying the kingdom with her fiery breath.

 _'Grr!'_

"Achoo!"

Quickly, elsewhere in the forest, Nuada let out a sneeze. Well, that was strange. Was someone making fun of his dragon? Currently, Solais wasn't summoned, so the Daemon Prince sneezed in response to the ill thought. Who would be thinking poorly of his Daemon? That was much of an insult to him too. Anyway, back to the palace...

Giving a sly smile to spite her sister through her imagination, Mercy snapped out of her thoughts when King Henryk cleared his throat.

"So, have you been feeling well?"

"Pardon?"

"That night during the Christmas celebration, I saw you left abruptly. I just want to know if you're fine." Henryk clarified.

"I am. Master... She did a check up on me." Mercy assured.

"Oh really?" the King questioned.

Perhaps it was out of goodwill... Or maybe it was just her crying out for help, but as she passed by the King, she gave him a warning. It came out in a cold, dark, lonesome answer.

"How long do you think this peaceful time will last, Your Majesty? If you continue to remain ignorant, someone might end up getting hurt. One day, you might lose the one thing you love."

The impassive warning alerted the King a bit. He remain quiet as he turned to watch Mercy disappearing around the corner. His concern eventually tainted with suspicion. Just what did she meant by that? What was she trying to say? Perhaps he should investigate the Royal Advisor. Although he trusted her for the help she has lend, old memories resurfaced that she appeared out of nowhere. What could she be planning?

Meanwhile... Back to the sisters, having felt that someone was speaking ill of her, Serafina let out a sneeze.

"Achoo!"

"Sto lat." Brigid happily replied.

"Thank you, Brigid." Serafina respond. "So, anyway... I wanted to lighten her up a bit."

The older sister left out a sigh. She not only have to reset the prank, but she'll now have to make it less predictable. If Brigid was able to accidentally get caught in it, Mercy might be aware of such a simple trap. Plus, she has good reflexes too. Maybe if the prank was moved, perhaps it might work...

Immediately, Serafina snapped out of her thoughts, having heard her little sister's voice.

"I want to prank Mercy too!" the Salt Princess exclaimed playfully.

 _'Yes... If she is too busy with Brigid's prank, she won't anticipate my prank...'_ she thought cunningly.

With that spoken, the girl ran off to set her prank. With Serafina's trap taken out to be place somewhere else within the living room, Brigid quickly set her own. Placing a bucket of water on top of the door that has been left ajar, the girl quickly hid, having heard footsteps approaching. As Mercy was walking near the door, once again, she let out another sneeze. Pushing the door wider to walk into the room, the middle sister was sniffling as a bucket of water started to fall, threatening to spill its content all over the Royal Guard.

Mercy gasped, having noticed the falling bucket. With quick reflexes, she reacted to the falling water by simply using her powers to control the liquid. With the swirl of water around her, the middle sister took a few steps - twirling gracefully as if in a dance - before pushing the water away from her, letting it rain the indoor plants that lacks the nutrients to grow.

With her arms crossed, Mercy had a stern look on her face, "Brigid, come out now. I know that you're here. Did Serafina told you about this?"

There was silence for a moment until the Princess hesitantly came out of her hiding place.

"Aw, I was hoping to prank you..." Brigid shyly admitted.

Stepping closer, the middle sister lean over to get to the girl's level, "Prank me? Did Serafina set you up for this?"

Before the Princess could even reply, the sisters' attention were turned to a sound. It was Serafina, who was leaning against a wall.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. You have a lot of learning to do, Brigid. You can't prank Mercy like that. She's too clever for her own good."

"And you're too carefree." Mercy retaliated.

"You won't be able to get her like that, Brigid. You'll only be able to prank her... Like... This."

With a snap of her fingers, a rope nearby got burnt and snapped into two. Little did Mercy knew, there was a trap set above her. Realizing the prank too late, she only manged to look up to see the falling clothes before collapsing under its weight. Completely buried, Mercy struggled to get the heavy clothing off of her.

"Serafina!" she yelled.

"Come on. Let's go before Mercy doesn't give us any mercy." Serafina joked as she took Brigid's hand before running away immediately.

"Bye, Merce!" the Princess waved happily as the poor guard was left by herself.

"Achoo!"

* * *

Having escape from the room, the sisters began hiding. There was a closet that was barely used. It will make a great hiding place! Getting inside, the sisters giggled before quieting down. Opening the door a little bit to take a peek, Brigid look at the slightly ajar door to see Mercy have gotten freed from the trap. She looked very furious and was grumbling some words that cannot be heard.

"Sera, Merce can be scary like that." Brigid whispered, shivering at the sight of her sister like that.

"Yeah, that's why she is the biggest snow monster." Serafina teased.

"Choo! Achoo!" turning around, Mercy glared at the door.

"Uh oh." the older sister became alarmed.

Panicking, Serafina quickly closed the door only to hear stomping footsteps getting closer before the door was reopened. There was Mercy, standing before them. She was clearly not impressed as she dragged the two of them out of their hiding place. Initially, the responsible sister was yelling at them, clearly fed up with the older Royal Guard. Both pranksters simply stared at her in shock. Of course, Serafina was amused, smiling over that fact that Mercy has lost her cool. She was fuming and yelling in polish.

"O czym myślałeś, Serafina?! Szczerze mówiąc, co jest z tobą nie tak?" Mercy questioned in her rant.

"Nie mogę nic z tym zrobić. Jesteś moją ulubioną ofiarą." Serafina lightly laugh in response.

After her rant, the younger Royal Guard calmed down. With a hand on her hip and a finger pointing at the two of them, Mercy started chiding her sisters like a mother does to naughty children. She chastises Serafina for pulling a prank and for getting Brigid involved in her tomfoolery. The older sister could only smile sheepishly in response.

"Wait, Mercy. Serafina just wanted to have fun, she didn't really mean any harm." Brigid pleaded.

The middle sister sighed, her expression softens towards the Princess. She can always forgive her, but not Serafina. Turning her attention back to the other Royal Guard, Mercy was about to least get an apology out of her sister only to find that she have disappeared. Sighing, Mercy left to find and catch Serafina.

Searching near the Lakefront, the water doll felt pain in her chest. It was almost like she was being watched. Immediately after, she heard Meranda's voice. Oddly enough, her other half had a more softer tone than their last encounter. She sounded more sorrowful.

 _"What are you planning to do, Mercy? You know well that Master has no time for games."_ her voice expressed sadness.

"I'm just getting Serafina." Mercy simply replied back.

It was strange, talking to a voice inside her head. If this happen in a crowd of people, the girl was sure that everyone would think that she is crazy.

 _"You know, you've grown detached from our Master's plans ever since you've worn that bracelet the Princess has given you. I think it's distracting you from what matters most."_ again, her tone changed.

Why did her other half started to sound so fault finding again? And why is Meranda's voice becoming less of her own? It not only started to talk in a manner like the Royal Advisor's, but it was starting to sound exactly like hers.

Mercy shook her head, "No, no it isn't."

 _"Really? Then you won't have a problem discarding it, right?"_ Meranda darkly teased.

"What? No, I would never." the water doll argues.

 _"This is an order, Mercy. Get rid of that useless trinket. Do as I say."_ there was a hint of arrogance in her voice.

"You can't order me. You're me." Mercy counters.

 _"That may be true, but remember, a piece of Master's soul is in me. You are correct, I am you, but I'm also Master, not just you. I am you, Master, and my own person."_ Meranda reminded.

"No! You can't order me." the girl insisted.

 _"You really want to deny it? Alright, move three steps forward."_

"W-What?" Mercy questioned.

It wasn't directed at Meranda. No, she was questioning why her body was moving on its own. As soon her other half had given her an order, the Royal Guard had found herself taking three steps closer to the Lakefront immediately after.

 _"I've been watching you, Mercy. Do you really want to become a failure like your sister?"_ the voice questioned.

"I don't care about that, I can do both. I can do my job and be sisters with Brigid." Mercy became irritated.

 _"No, you can't. You don't have the choice to make. Even if you do, there would always be one choice."_ Cailleach's voice snapped within the girl's mind. _"Now, Mercy, discard that useless crap. Do as I ordered you!"_

The Royal Guard was stunned. The voice sounded more and more like the her master's than her own self doubts. Whenever her hurt gains a voice of its own, it would always be accompanied by her master's intolerance. However, she didn't have time to think for she felt her body acting against her will.

Reluctantly, she felt her hand taking off the bracelet from her wrist. She tried to stop herself, but couldn't. This was strange. It was like she was possessed. Having the bracelet in her hand, Mercy raise her arm above her head before tossing the piece of jewelry into the lake. After that, the voice subsided and she regained control again. Mercy, herself, just look on in shock and disbelief.

What just happened? Her immediate reaction was to retrieve her bracelet out of the water. It shouldn't be a problem, but she became hesitant. What if the Royal Advisor was still watching her through Meranda? She might stopped her or do worse than make her throw her bracelet into the lake. She should not risk it.

Returning to the Grak Palace, Mercy was deep in thought until she got startled by Serafina, who had jumped out of a room.

"Ha, ha, ha! You should have seen the look on your face. Oh..." she laughed.

Recovering from her shock, the younger sister replied in a deadpan tone, "I'm in no mood for games, Serafina."

"Is something wrong, Mercy?" Serafina lost her smile, becoming concern.

"...I rather not talk about it."

That was a lie. She doesn't want to keep bottling her negative feelings, but there was no way her sisters would understand. They don't have the same problem as her. Therefore, the water doll felt it was right to keep the secret to herself. After taking a few steps, Mercy bumped into Brigid.

"Oh, Merce. I'm sorry." the Princess apologize. "...What's wrong?"

"I-It's nothing." the Royal Guard answered.

The girl studied her sister's expressions, hoping to catch something. It was obvious that she was lying again. Mercy would usually lie when something is bothering her. Eventually, Brigid looked down to notice the missing bracelet that was once around her sister's wrist. Upon questioning her discovering, the Royal Guard lied again. Her poor attempt of an excuse was that she lost it when it slips from her wrist. Of course, she has to lie. She couldn't say that she was forced to throw it away. Not only would that hurt Brigid's feelings, that would also bring suspicion.

"I see..."

"I'm feeling a little tired today, Brigid. I'll be in my room if you need me." Mercy admits as she started to walk pass the Princess.

"Merce..." Brigid stops her. She considered talking to her, but shook her head in the end, giving a reassuring smile. "No, it's nothing. Never mind. Rest easy, okay, Merce?"

Giving a grateful smile back, the sister answered tiredly, "Thanks... Brigid."

The girl smiled back before dropping it after Mercy left.

Sighing, she called out, "You can come out now, Sera."

Turning around, she waiting for her older sister to get out of her hiding place. After a while, Serafina moved away from the grand clock.

"You knew I was there, didn't you?" she sheepishly asked. Getting a nod for the answer, she inquired, "Mercy isn't really being herself, is she?."

"She was lying to me. Something is bothering her."

"Don't worry about it, Bri. I'll go talk to her." she assures.

Leaving the Princess, Serafina jogged to catch up with her younger sister. Calling out her name, she stops when Mercy turned around. The older Royal Guard questioned on her sister's sudden change in behavior, but didn't get the answer she wanted. Mercy wouldn't talk about it. Instead, she only gave her an advice.

"It's probably best if you put your bracelet away. We can't get caught wearing it by Master."

"Mercy, what the heck is going on with you?"

"You could almost say... I'm just fed up over everything." she answered with a sad smile before leaving.

Returning to the Snow Room, Mercy had another emotionless look on her face. Her suspicions has been confirmed. Walking up to a mirror, the girl looked at her reflection. As she place her hand on the glass surface, her reflection does the same. Meranda isn't the enemy here. She, too, was just another "pawn" forced to do their master's bidding.

But... Since when had Mercy ever had a hurtful side? She doesn't recall any of it. Of course, she does remember when her heart gem hurts, but she never thought that it could be Meranda. Maybe it has been that way for a long time. Had her hurtful side been with her all this time? It didn't make sense. When? On top of that, how could she have a hurtful side since the beginning? She is a doll after all.

Sighing, the girl just leaned her back against the door, conflicted on what to do and of her own purpose in life.

* * *

Later that day, Brigid decided to do another prank that involves salt. And she knew who to prank. Lately, her father has been cooped up in his study. She rarely even saw him, so she plans to lighten up his mind a bit. After all, shouldn't her father spend more time with his daughter? It wouldn't be fair if he continues with his work without some time spent with her. She'll make sure that today - even if the moment would be short - she'll take her father's mind off of work.

Running into the kitchen, she met with the chief and instructed him to leave all the salt from the King's dish, explaining her prank to him. Initially, the chief denies her request, not wishing to get in trouble with King Henryk... Until Brigid pouted in front of him with teary eyes that he complies. He cannot help it. She was very cute when she pouts like that!

"Okay, but only if I don't get into trouble."

Delighted that the chief agrees to aid in her prank, the Princess promise that he won't. After tampering with the other food, including sprinkling some salt into the ice cream, it was only a matter of time until the unseasoned dishes made it to the Dining Room where the King sat, awaiting for the cuisine. As Henryk took a bite, he immediately knew that his food were unsalted. His expression when he took the bite was priceless that Brigid couldn't help, but giggled.

"Sorry, Father." she smiled.

The man chucked at the harmless prank, "I assumed that you knew that today is April Fool's Day. It's alright, sweetheart, but I would appreciate it if you put the salt back into my dish."

Summoning her dragonfly, the Princess sprinkled the seasoning into her father's food before running up to give him a hug, "I love you."

"I love you too, Brigid."

After eating dinner, the King was having a craving for dessert. So, he had ordered a serving of ice cream. Recalling that she had put salt in the ice cream, Brigid was about to warn her father, but it was too late. King Henryk had taken a bite of ice cream to find it taste a bit salty. Silence was among the table.

"Father...?" she meekly called out.

"Brigid... Is this the last prank?" Henryk asked sternly.

"Yes..." she hesitantly answered.

Had she gone a little too far? Most people can't handle salty ice cream.

"Then I'll have you know... This is the best prank you ever did. The salt compliments the sweetness of the ice cream." the King exclaimed.

Taking a try, the Princess took a spoon of ice cream, "Mm... It really does taste good."

"Alright, Brigid, I think that's enough pranks for today. It's time for bed."

"Okay. Goodnight, Father." she waved before exiting the Dining Room.

After leaving her father, the Princess went for a quick visit to say goodnight to Serafina before resuming to her bedroom. She didn't went to Mercy because the door was locked. Entering her room, after changing into her nightgown, the girl was about to head to bed until she stop. It happened so suddenly. First, her head was feeling light and then she collapsed onto the floor.

 _'Why do I feel weak all of a sudden?'_ she wondered as she place a hand on her head. _'Everything looked distorted... I must be getting tired.'_

Shaking her head, the Princess slowly stood up, but could barely stay standing. Just taking one step has caused her to collapsed on her knees again. Left with no other option, the girl crawled to her bed and finally climbed onto the soft mattress. Her body felt drained of energy as the girl face planted on the soft pillow.

Tilting her head to the side, Brigid stared at the door, trying to focus her vision at the exit. But no matter how hard she tries, everything was moving and it was making her head hurts. It wasn't long before she slips into unconsciousness.

Meanwhile, elsewhere, the Royal Advisor was in her room, having seen the events within a crystal ball. A gleeful smile spread on her face. Yes! She knew. As it was getting closer to Princess Brigid's fourteenth birthday, the girl is starting to feel weak from using her salt powers. Oh, it's a great time to be happy. Placing a hand on the crystal ball, the image transition from Brigid to Mercy.

The Royal Guard was in her room, with her arms wrapped around her knees and her head lowered. She look quite upset and it was understandable.

"In due time, Mercy." Cailleach mutter. "Very soon, you won't have to worry about Meranda. She is only a manifestation of your sadness. Feelings such as regret won't ever plague your mind ever again. Just remain focus, my dear precious doll."

Why go through the trouble with finding immortality, when one can simply transfer the soul into a new body? Especially if the body is basically immortal? So what if the vessel objects? The purpose of creating her dolls in the first place was to make a suitable host for her soul. The "failure" Serafina wouldn't do. She is full of emotions that would only be a hindrance to her plans. But Mercy... Created to be just like her, it won't be a problem. There are just a few emotions she'll have to dispose of. Like disgusting weeds, she'll uproot the plants so there will only be a field full of roses. With the flower's thorny stems, she'll be unreachable.

* * *

 **1) I always wanted to see a fun loving side to Serafina since she was so casual in the game. But further into the game, she became more serious. I wished we could have explore more on her living like a normal human because I can easily imagine Serafina as the mischievous trouble maker. She isn't perfect and there are some flaws to her, but that's what makes her human and I love that part of hers. It makes her seem real. Makes you wonder what her life and Mercy's would be if they were Brigid's real sisters and weren't bound to the Royal Advisor's orders.**

 **2) Did you know? In Asian countries, when someone is talking bad about you, you would sneeze? I wanted to added that between Mercy and Serafina since its kinda a cute moment. Serafina, Mercy, and even Nuada were subjected to ill thoughts.  
**

 **"Sto lat" is polish used after when someone sneezes, like "bless you" or "geziout". However, the word translate to "may you live for a hundred years". A little joke because they actually did live for a hundred years.**

 **"Na zdrowie" is the same thing as "sto lat". It translate to "may you be healthier". A bit ironic for King Henryk to say that to Mercy because she isn't getting healthier.**

 **3) Mercy's polish line translate to "** **What were you thinking, Serafina?! Honestly, what's wrong with you?"**

 **4) Serafina responded with** **"I cannot do anything about it. You are my favorite victim."**

 **5) Brigid taking away the salt from her father's food is a reference to the original story, the Princess in the actual story bringing salt with her to her father after tasting food that didn't taste well. Since King Henryk died before Brigid returned, I decided to have this sweet moment for this chapter.**

 **So... Leave your reviews and I'll see you next time.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Oh my, what a upsetting title we have. We have another holiday chapter and you can easily assume which holiday this chapter revolves around. I advise you guys have tissues ready for the remaining three chapters. Enjoy!  
**

* * *

Chapter 11: Motherless

Today is a very special, yet sad day for Brigid. It was a day celebrated once a year to show appreciation towards an important member of the family. The Princess remembered walking through town to notice the holiday back when she was young. Seeing many children having bought presents for their mothers, she was curious and had asked one of the children about it. They explain that today is Mother's Day, the day when everyone give presents to celebrate their mother.

However, she doesn't have a mom, she lost hers. Obviously, she knew what happened since her father had told her many times, but she could never remember what the woman looked like from her hazy memories. It would only be through the many portraits she passed in the hallways. But from her memories... Nothing. So, on this day, the Salt Princess went to her father for some answers. Knocking on his door, she waited until he gave his permission to enter.

"Come in."

Letting herself in his room, she watched as her father was slumped against piles of paper that were stacked on his desk.

"Oh my..." she whispered as she looked at the large stack. "Father?"

"What?" the King jumped as he quickly turned around. "Oh, Brigid."

She could see it in his face that the man was very stressed out. How long has she not seen her father? Obviously not as much as she hoped. She doesn't remember seeing him like this before. Slowly walking up towards him, the girl embraced him from behind, placing a hand on top of his as an act of comfort.

"Father, I want to know more about... Mother."

King Henryk looked down. The topic of her mother would always make him quiet, a very touchy subject. Gently, he pushes her away.

With a deep sigh, he respond, "I already told you about your mother. If you want to know more, I suggest you go to the Palace Library."

With nothing else to say, the King turned his attention back to his desk and resumed working. Looking at her father in his sadden state, Brigid felt sad. He doesn't spend much time with her anymore and all conversation would sometimes ended up very short and abrupt. It was very awkward. Making her way to the door, Brigid quietly left. As she makes her way to the Palace Library, the girl thought back to her mother's ancestry - her ancestry too.

Reaching to her destination, the Salt Princess found Mercy sitting on a chair with a book in her hands. The younger Royal Guard was so invested in the book, a playful idea came to her mind. With a smile, the girl slowly crept up closer to her sister.

Finally very close, Brigid yelled, "Hi Merce!"

"Eek!" Mercy jumped as she threw her book into the air. Addressing towards the Princess, the Royal Guard replied, "Brigid, you startled me."

"Ehehe... Sorry." the girl smiled as she picked up the book that eventually fell a few feet away from Mercy.

The Royal Guard sigh as she accepted the book, "So, what are you doing here?"

"Oh, I'm trying to find a book on my ancestry." Brigid answered.

"Do you need any help finding this book?"

"No, I can find it myself." the girl insisted.

"Very well. If you need any help, I'll be willing to offer it."

Brigid nodded as she turned around to search the many shelves while Mercy resumed to her book. Looking at many printed novels, the Princess found many of different genre and subject. However, she wasn't exactly sure where the book she was trying to find be classified as. Some people say that the book is fiction since the first author who wrote the book had simply imagined the tale. Others say that it was biography because that same author wrote it on the person of interest. The latter was a more popular belief since rumors claimed that the author is a descendant of the person written in the book. Another popular opinion was that it was purely folklore meant to inspire hope in children and get them to imagine a wonderful adventure filled with curses, magic, and so much more.

After searching the fiction and the biography shelves, she finally found it on the top of the highest shelf in the folklore section. There is was, titled "The Frog Prince". Getting a ladder, the Princess started to climb up to the shelf, but as she was about to reach for the book, something occurred.

Immediately, Brigid felt light headed. For a fleeting moment, she could feel her sight becoming distorted and her head was hurting. Losing her concentration, she unfortunately lost her footing as she sways.

"A-Aah!"

Hearing her cries, Mercy practically threw her book aside as she got up. There was no time to react, just acting on impulses. The Royal Guard ran, jump, and catch the Salt Princess just before she could hit the ground. Phew, that was a really close one.

"Brigid! Thank goodness you're not hurt! You need to be more careful." the Royal Guard exclaimed.

"I'm sorry, Merce. I don't know what happen myself." she explains.

"Do you know why you fell?"

"Suddenly, I felt a bit dizzy. I couldn't focus my sight. Everything seemed fuzzy for a moment."

Mercy place a hand on the girl's forehead, checking her temperature, "You're not having a fever... Maybe you should get some rest."

"No. Whatever that was, I'm okay now." the Princess insisted.

After helping Brigid get the book she wanted, the two exited the library and were joined with Serafina. Together, the three of them went to a little shrine the Princess made when she was young. It was near the forest where her mother loves to take her walks. The sisters were a bit uneasy near the Forest of No Return. Although they can't reached the forest because of the barrier, they were still wary of it.

Finally reaching the shrine, the Princess was hesitant.

"Brigid, what's wrong?" Serafina asked worriedly.

Turning around, the girl inquired, "Sera, Merce, do you have a mother?"

They shared a look before Mercy asked, "W-What do you mean, Brigid?"

"Ever since I lost my mother during the war, I don't know what it's felt like having one. You two have been with me this whole time, I wondered if you've lost yours."

The Royal Guards didn't know how to answer, so they didn't. Leaving Brigid alone to pay respect to her mother's shrine, Serafina repeats the question to Mercy when they are alone. After a few minutes of thinking carefully, the younger sister came up with a response.

"Since Master created us, I guess she is our mother technically..."

"Well, I don't think she is a good parent." Serafina muttered bitterly.

"She is trying her best." Mercy tried to stay positive.

"What kind of mother treats you differently than your sis- oh..." Serafina paused herself, seeing her younger sister's head lowered. "Mercy, I'm so-"

"It's alright. I know." she cut her off.

"...Right." Serafina hold her arm uncomfortable.

The two of them stayed quiet the rest of the way back to the palace. As she walked ahead, Mercy frowned at that remark. Deep down, she knew that her older sister still resents her for being the one the Royal Advisor adores. She isn't an exception herself. Deep down, she is still jealous of Serafina's strong bond towards Brigid. Oh, how she wished she could have a stronger bond with her sisters. But that was impossible and foolish for her to think.

At the small shrine, Brigid had just finished paying her respects for her mother. Looking up, she could see that with each year, everything changes. All, except for this tiny shrine. Just a simple mark that was eventually covered by protective ivy vines. She remembered the time when she first made this little building around the age of six. Every single year since that day, she would always come to this place to offer her prayers since her mother's body was lost.

Never had she missed this day nor did she bear any ill thoughts against the people who took away her mother - the Daemon Evokers. In fact, rather than wishing harm against the clan, she wished for a time of peace. Why should they remain divided and in conflict? Why can't they unite and establish peace amongst themselves? Perhaps that is all wishful thinking now. There have been no news from that clan and everyone had thought that the Daemon Evokers were wiped off from the face of the earth.

The Princess shook her head, trying to get rid of the negative thoughts. Not today.

Putting a small present next to the shrine, the girl whispered sadly, "Happy Mother's Day, Mother."

* * *

Returning to their rooms, the sisters considered about making presents for the Royal Advisor. Although their relationships with the witch is... Complicated, at the very least, they might as well show some gratitude towards her. After all, they wouldn't have been created if it wasn't without her. Mercy made small statue of her master by crystallizing the figure that was shaped by water. Serafina, on the other hand, simply made a card. She wasn't into it, so it was very simple. Why making a present to someone who doesn't even acknowledge your own existence?

Because she already knew about her older sister's estranged relationship with their master, Mercy had offered to take the card to the Royal Advisor, which Serafina was grateful of. Reaching her master's room, the Royal Guard knocked on the door and waited.

"Come in." a voice answered. Opening the door, Mercy entered to see the Royal Advisor was sitting on a couch, drinking tea. Looking up to see who it is, the old woman exclaimed, "Ah, Mercy! A pleasure to see you here. Now, what brings you to my room?"

"Well, today is Mother's Day, so we thought we show our appreciation to you." Mercy explained, showing the gift and card.

"Oh, how sweet of you." the Royal Advisor got up and took the present. "That's very thoughtful."

Unbeknown to the Royal Guard, while she had her back turned, the witch discarded the card that Serafina made. She didn't even bother reading it, believing that a failure of a servant would make a failure of a present. Nonetheless, she kept the statuette of herself, putting it on the table.

Turning around to face Mercy again, the old witch smiled darkly at the clueless doll, "Aufwachen, schlummernde seele aus dem abgrund..."

Having heard those words, the doll's eyes widen before suddenly feeling tired as she immediately slips into unconsciousness. Her other self has been summoned as the doll kneeled down, lowering her head.

"Master." Meranda, now in control, spoke.

"I've summoned you, so I assume that Mercy is asleep?"

"Yes."

"Good. It seems that she has been influenced by the Princess." the Royal Advisor paced as she took a sip of her tea.

"No matter, Master. I am a worthier servant than the both of them. I assure you, I won't fail." Meranda promised.

"I'm sure you won't."

"If you don't mind my asking, Master, but what do you wish to do with Serafina?"

"The girl is a lost cost. It's already bothersome to keep her around. But... If she does plan to betray me one day, I do have one favor to asked of you." the Royal Advisor muttered.

"Name it."

Smiling wickedly, the Royal Advisor gestures for Meranda to follow. Alone with no one to listen, she whispered into the doll's ears.

"...Is that understood?"

"It would be my pleasure."

Once Meranda has left and returned to the Snow Room, she paused, having felt Mercy stirring from deep within. Unable to suppressed her, the other half was put into a force sleep. In the subconscious, she was confronted by her dominant soul. She doesn't look happy and Meranda doesn't blamed her.

"I won't let you control me like that again. This is my body and you'll stay out of my way." she quietly warned.

"And to whom are you referring to? The Royal Advisor or yourself?" Meranda inquired. "I sure hope you haven't forgotten."

"You know who I'm referring to. You may be my master, but here, you're not."

"Watch your tongue, girl. It's true that although while I'm residing in your subconscious, I'm not as significant, but I'm still your master as the woman who created you." the Royal Advisor spoke through Meranda. "Anyway, I thought you were asleep."

"How can I sleep when I know you are plotting something?" she argues.

"And I'm suppose to let you handle things? Admit it, you're the weak one... Just like your ***** sister, Sera-"

She got slapped across the face by an angry Mercy, "Not another word."

"You know, your slaps are becoming soft that it isn't funny anymore." Meranda remarks with an amusing smile on her face. "I wonder if it's because you sympathized your other self whom is under my possession currently."

"For a while, I've been blindingly following you without a problem. Even after you've insulted Serafina, my loyalty to you haven't faltered... But I'm beginning to have doubts. I didn't know what side I should take. My sisters or you. However, now that I know more of your true self, my decision has been final."

"So... Are you planning to betray me too?"

"It depends on how you interpret my message." Mercy answered.

"Ha, well aren't you mysterious?" Meranda scoffed. "Don't be so arrogant, girl."

"Don't ever insult my family again." the dominant soul warned.

"I'm sure you remember that despite I'm in control, this is still you you're talking to. Perhaps when I speak my mind, a piece of you actually agrees with me." the Royal Advisor continues to speak through Meranda. After gaining a glare, the half gave in, "Alright, alright. I may give you the reins this time, but beware Mercy. Sometimes, I love to come out and play."

Just before she disappears, there was one more thing that Mercy wanted to asked about, "Wait! What is this ceremony you're planning? I can sense that you're planning something, but the details I cannot accessed."

"Ah... That. Well, what I have planned for the world is something called the Salt Enchantment Ceremony."

"What's that? What does it do exactly?"

"I don't think I'm obliged to tell you that. You might use that information against me. Ha, but even if you do defy me, do know that this girl..." Cailleach points to herself, referring to Meranda, "Is a part of you and she is under my control. I wonder if she even feels the same way like you do. So, how sure are you to think you'll one day turn against me? You may think you've choose your own fate, but what about her?"

"Meranda is me, I'm sure I can convince-" Mercy got cut off.

"I highly doubt that you can change her mind - half of your mind. In fact, it might be quite the opposite. Perhaps it will be _she_ who will convince _you_ one day." the Royal Advisor smiled. "And of course, I will be here to witness it all."

With that final remark, Mercy found herself surfacing back to consciousness.

* * *

Waking up, the girl got up and slowly headed to her bed. She was feeling worried. Not just for Meranda, but also for Serafina. She had heard what the Royal Advisor had ordered her other half to do. Of course, despite Meranda was in control of her body at that time, it was really the Royal Advisor who was truly under control.

 _"I want you to break her."_ was what her master had whispered. _"That hope she clings onto, make sure she realized the truth in front of her - that all her dreams and wishes, it's all an illusion."_

The more she thought, the more Mercy became concerned over Serafina's future. The witch ordered for her other half to break her older sister's spirit. Even though she doubts that Meranda would follow through with it, the Royal Advisor might influence her. The order wasn't the only thing she was worried about. The ceremony that she learned... Why is it so important?

Fed up with all of this, Mercy fall on her bed with a sigh, looking up at the ceiling.

 _'This Salt Enchantment Ceremony... Just what does it do?'_

Even if she doesn't have to worry about the ceremony, one thing still bothers her. One day, Brigid will die regardless. She isn't immortal. The thought caused old memories to resurface. Meeting Brigid when she was just four years old and now... She has grown while Serafina and herself have stayed the same.

The time when the girl had once asked for her name. Of course, back then, she choose her own name for herself.

 _"You know me, but I don't know you. I don't even know your names. May I know... Your names?"_

 _"I'm Mercy."_

That wasn't the only time she slowly grew fond over the girl. There was a time when Brigid revealed what she saw in her and Serafina.

 _"To me, you aren't my Royal Guards. You're my precious older sisters whom I'll always love and forever cherish in my heart and memories."_

The time when she got into a fight with Serafina... It was Brigid who taught her new things. She doesn't have to always follow orders, that she can do whatever she wants - to be a little more selfish sometimes...

 _"...If it were me, I wouldn't want you to be dependent on what others want. You don't have to always live up to others' expectations."_

And of course, the time when Brigid celebrated her tenth birthday... The day where they share the same day of birth...

 _"Because I'm already happy. I don't need to search for happiness if I already have what I wanted. I'm grateful to have you two here with me. That is enough to make me happy."_

As the Princess grew, so did her thoughts and beliefs. Her feelings, although they don't change, continues to grow and mature. As for Mercy, she doesn't want anything to change. But the reminder of this Salt Enchantment Ceremony send dread to her mind. If something were to happen with Brigid, she wouldn't know what to do. Perhaps she was wrong. Maybe she shouldn't have gotten close. Because living in ignorance when she knew that one day, their idyllic life will eventually end... That is just a cruel way to go. It didn't help imaging that her little hope might end up dying... What kind of pain will await her till then?

 _'Living this kind of life. I thought my tears have dried up, but...'_

The time when she had cried by herself in this very room after the Christmas party and when she had conversed with Serafina one time. She thought that would have been the last time, but she was wrong. She would always find herself crying and ashamed, would make sure she was by herself. There was a reason why she has cried more often than usually. She has grown too attached to everything. Her life, her sisters, the world... Everything. She has taken it all for granted.

 _'I shouldn't have gotten close to those two.'_ she thought, slowly raising her arm. _'As I thought... I should be alone.'_

Closing her eyes, she place an arm over them. Honestly, just closing her eyes for a while was similar to sleeping. The only difference was that she was conscious. Staying like this for a while, eventually... Something happened. Glimpses of the past and future - visions - suddenly flashed in her mind. There were vivid and although they went by quickly, it felt like eternality.

At first, Mercy was taken to see the past. Through Meranda, she could see into her master's memories. Why would she be seeing the Royal Advisor's memories? Well, perhaps subconsciously, she had always wanted to know what changed the woman into becoming the witch she knows now.

 _In Solwood, there was once a beautiful maiden. She has long, light brown hair with a fiery hue to it and brown eyes. She was wearing white robes, a red cloak, and a gold headband around her forehead._

The woman looked a bit like her. In this memory, Mercy was an observer, so no one will notice her as she follows the woman into her house.

 _It was isolated from the others and it was secluded to the Frog Shrine. Entering her home, the woman sighed._

 _"Cailleach, is something wrong?" a voice asked._

The maiden looked up to see it was her mother. Mercy, however, still has her eyes glued at the woman.

 _'I knew it. This woman is Master.'_

 _"Why do we have to suffer under the clan? We've been scorned and hated by everyone... All because our Daemon is associated with the Underworld." Cailleach bitterly muttered. "I'm so sick of it!"_

 _"Have patience, child. In time, the Frog Family will be lo-"_

 _"And when that happen?! Days? months? A few thousand years? I can't live like this, Mother!" the young Frog Evoker exclaimed. "I hate living like this. Lowborn, despised, feared. They should be loving us as their own!"_

 _"I understand that you've been practicing magic so you can help our family, but it takes time. You can't rush magic or quickly change everyone's mind." her mother advised. "Now, go upstairs and rest. I don't want you to overwork yourself."_

 _The daughter groans as she begrudgingly got up from her seat and stormily stomp up the stairs._

"She... Was once like me and Serafina. What happened that caused her to change?" Mercy wondered as the scene transitioned.

 _The memory changed to later that night when Cailleach was in bed. Whispers can be heard that it woke the woman up. Startled, she decided to investigate on the whispering that only she could apparently hear. Lighting up a candle, the Frog Evoker got out of bed and slowly descends to her backyard. The whispering stops once she stumbled on a hump of dirt. Curiosity taken over, the woman got on her knees and started to dig to uncover a purple gem. Leaking out of the gem manifested a spirit. Judging from the feminine appearance, this spirit is that of a female. Dressed in royal purple, the spirit has flowing, dark brown hair and red eyes that glints with malicious intents._

Both Cailleach and Mercy looked stunned.

 _"Who are you?"_

 _The spirit smiled, "Why, I am Amaryllis, known as the one of the seven Evil Spirits. Pride is what I invoke."_

 _"Evil spirits?"_

 _"Tell me, girl. Do you wish to become my host? If you agree, I can provide you with all the necessary means to help raise your family's reputations." the spirit asked._

 _"Why should I trust you?" Cailleach questioned, distrusting of the spirit's intentions._

 _"You crave for the attention of others and wished to be regarded as the best of the clan, am I wrong?"_

 _"No, you're not... But what are the benefits if I were to become your host?"_

 _"I can provide you with knowledge. You'll be able to do all sorts of magic. Once the clan realize your potential, they'll see you as one of their own." the spirit tempted._

 _Unable to resist her desires of becoming famous, the maiden agrees as the evil spirit gleefully resides within her new host. Now under the possession of the spirit, the witch attempted to cast a simple spell and it works! Elated, she did more spells, eventually perfecting complex ones as well._

 _The scene changed to Cailleach using her newfound knowledge to perform miraculous magic. Under a short period of time, the Daemon Evoker clan grew to love the Frog Family as well as Cailleach. Reveling in the praise of others - under the spirit's influence - the witch's mind started to warped. But even though she was simply a host, perhaps the maiden was happy. And even though under the demonic influences, it was her choice to allow her heart to get seduced by the darkness._

 _Full of pride in her work, the Frog Evoker invested her time practicing dark magic - one of the many benefits of being the host of an Evil Spirit. Becoming a host, one can gain the powers and knowledge that the spirit has. Overtime, it would almost be as if they are the spirits themselves. Anyway... For a long time, she has kept this forbidden magic as a secret, but with time, she was discovered after her high ego got her to foolishly expose it to the clan. As punishment, the Daemon King at that time banished her and her entire family from Solwood._

 _Although the Frog Family left understandably, the woman didn't go quietly._

 _"How dare you? Do you have any idea what you're doing?!"_

 _"You've practice in dark magic that is forbidden from our clan. It's like a disease, but perhaps you were already corrupted before that." the Daemon King explained. "As for your arrogance, it has changed you. I hope that during your banishment, you'll practice humility and learn to respect others of all status, instead of valuing higher classes."_

 _"You hypocrite! You and every one of you have never respected me or my family! It was only after I benefit your clan with magic that you've adore me!" she pointed an accusing finger at everyone._

 _"And for that, we are sorry that we've caused you and your family pain in the first place." the Daemon King tried to assured. "We shall learn from our mistakes so it won't repeat again. I advise you to do the same. Perhaps you'll find peace in yourself and maybe if you've proven that you are capable of change, the Frog Family will return to our clan with open arms."_

 _"You'll pay! All of you will pay!" she swore as the witch was being dragged out of Solwood. "I'll get my revenge! Solwood shall be the first to fall while I'm still alive! Mark my words!"_

Taken out of the past, Mercy soon found herself walking in a hall of darkness. The darkness didn't last and soon enough, light appeared at the other end. The future was now being shown. In the Salt Mine, Mercy could see herself laying on the ground. Her master was right there, standing in front of her. The old woman was planning to do something, but what? Placing a hand on her head, the Royal Advisor was muttering something.

"You won't be needing these memories anymore." light emitted from her hand. "Everything will be a complete reset."

Flashes of visions began to go by fast. She was back in the Salt Mine. However, it looked different from before. Did this event happen further into the future? Near the entrance to the Underground Lake, she could see Serafina laying lifelessly. Before she could even express shock and bewilderment for what she had seen, the visions shifted again.

In the Abyss, a ceremony was being performed. The scenery looked beautiful, but what was happening made Mercy felt sick. In the ceremony, she could see Brigid dying and the one who was doing the ritual was her! She couldn't believe it. Brigid was going to die? On her hands? Seeing at her future self, Mercy frowned. She looked quite happy actually. Why was that? She doesn't want any of this! She doesn't want to be happy if it'll end like this!

Everything was turning into salt. The whole world was turning into salt. The people, the buildings, trees and flowers... Devastated, Mercy watched as her future unravel for her to see. She could see herself reunited with her creator. How she did it or where she went after the world's destruction, she doesn't know. Taken out of the visions, the doll slowly opened her eyes.

Placing a hand over her head, she muttered, "A bad dream..."

Well, to be honest, it was more like a bad nightmare in her opinion. Sighing, she slowly sat up from her bed to ponder over what she had just witness. Honestly, her entire body felt drained and numbed. Looking at her hands, she became frighten. She doesn't want that prophetic dream to become reality. If possible, she wants to deviate from that future in anyway she can. Although, there was one thing that was bothering her...

 _'What was I happy for?'_ she wondered as she closed her eyes. _'Was it worth it?'_

Could it be possible that she had no memories at that time? If so, was that what prompts her to do all of that?

With a look that almost appeared emotionless, she whispered, "Well, I guess there is only one thing to do."

* * *

Finding Serafina at the Edge of the Forest, Mercy stealthily walk from behind. Pulling out a knife, the younger sister raised the small weapon over her head, planning to strike her unsuspecting sister from behind. However, Serafina noticed and quickly dodged it, kicking the knife away from her sister's hand. Disarmed, Mercy was initially shocked that her sister managed to evade her.

An amused smile formed on Mercy's face as she place a hand on the other where Serafina had kicked her, "Amazing... Congrats, Serafina."

"What the heck, Mercy? What were you doing? I thought someone set an assassin on me. I panicked until I saw you." the Royal Guard exclaimed.

"I just wanted to test you. And you passed." Mercy smiled as if nothing bad had happened. "Plus, I wanted to know if you would hesitant if I were to strike you down."

Serafina took the knife by the handle and brought the tiny blade against her hand. Nothing. As soon as the knife made contact with her skin, the blade - which was made out of water - spread around her hand. The knife was a fake. It wasn't harmful at all!

"You can't stabbed people with the blade made out of water, Mercy." Serafina deadpans, lightly hitting her sister with the toy. "Dummy."

"Ehehe..." Mercy smiled.

"Is this your idea of a joke? If so, it's terrible." she remarked before turning to leave.

However, Mercy rushed and placed her hand on her older sister's shoulder to catch her attention, turning Serafina around. Before the older Royal Guard could utter a word of complaint, she was the first to beat her.

"Wait, Serafina. We need to talk, seriously this time." she spoke urgently.

Sitting on the Viewing Tower, Mercy began to tell her sister about the Salt Enchantment Ceremony. However, because she doesn't have the full details, she cannot explain what the ceremony does. After all, how can one explain on a subject that they don't fully know about themselves? For all she knows, the ceremony she saw in her dreams could possibly not be the same one her master plans to inflict onto the world... Despite she did saw the world turned into salt.

 _'It must be coincidence.'_ she thought.

"Thank you for telling me, Mercy. But I have to ask... Why?" Serafina replied. "Why tell me? You could have kept the information to yourself."

"Because I'm worried about Brigid. Today, she nearly fall off the ladder in the Palace Library."

"What?!" the older sister yelled.

"She said that she felt dizzy and that made her lose her footing. Luckily, I managed to catch her before she reached the floor." she quickly explained.

"You have good reflexes. That, or you really have a motherly touch."

"I like kids... If they were more like Brigid." Mercy slowly admits.

"Tell me, Mercy, all the children in this kingdom were... _'Born'_ , right?"

"I can't really explain it. And the concept of birth doesn't exactly apply to us."

Of course, it was obvious that neither sisters knew the specifics of being born is like. Many times the Royal Advisor explained that they were created from mud dolls, and thus, aren't "born" like human beings. For unknown reasons, Serafina became curious and started to ask an innocent, but difficult question. Well, technically, that wasn't true. There was a reason why she asked. It wasn't because she was just curious. She wanted to stray away from the discussion of this "Salt Enchantment Ceremony". Anything that relates to their master's plans, she rather not think about it right now.

"Mercy?"

"Hm?"

"How are babies born?"

Although it lasted for a brief second, the older Royal Guard could have sworn she saw her younger sister's cheeks flushed bright red.

 _'Why is she blushing so badly?'_ the older sister wondered.

 _A few years ago, back when Mercy was curious about how the human mind and body function, she read a particular book on humans. Around that time, she was still trying to understand and differentiate herself from Brigid. What does a human has that a doll doesn't? It was after the Christmas celebration that Mercy started to go to the Palace Library very often to read books. They were, in a way, comforting to her. It was like escaping from reality and diving into a whole new world. But ever since the Royal Advisor kept mentioning that fact that she was a doll, Mercy was very curious about the human body._

 _She knows that her body can heal faster than a human's and was basically durable compared to a human's fragile anatomy. But what else is there to contrast?_

 _Regrettably, the book she found and read were a bit... Too much of an eyesore. After flipping the page, the girl gasped as she felt her cheeks burning. It gets worse as she continue flipping the page._ _Finding that page that talked about... Ahem, the process of child birth was a grave mistake. It didn't just talk how human babies are born, but the process before that. How the man and woman are very excited and exercise a lot to get there. It eventually went to a point where Mercy threw the book as hard as she could before using her water powers to damage the pages inside. Its content shall never be witness by any other eyes. Although, they probably scarred hers._

 _"W-Why would the Palace Library have such descriptive images...?" Mercy wondered, covering her face._

 _Her cheeks were still red base on the heat they were radiating. Alas, the poor girl. Once she saw the content inside the book, it can never be unseen again._

Anyway, back to the present...

Lowering her head to hide her expression, she whispered quietly, "That's not something you can casually mention, Serafina..."

"Why not?" she asked innocently.

Being a doll, Serafina doesn't understand the concept of human birth. It was understandable why she was curious. Although, her lack of understanding would sometimes make the conversation awkward. As for Mercy, she have read a few books about humans, but she sort have regret it. After reading that one book, it was the last straw. She never touched any books that has to do with the human body ever again. When she didn't answered Serafina's questions, the silence continued like that for a while. Finally, feeling uncomfortable with the long silence, the older sister shifted her question. She asked that if Mercy was born as a human, what would she want.

"I would want a twin sister." was the younger sister's reply.

"Why?"

"Because it would be like looking at a mirror. I would be able to see myself through her and possibly understand myself more." Mercy explained. "They say that twins are halves of one soul. They just share separate, but identical bodies."

Looking back at her response, she has a feeling she knew why she choose that answer. It was because she was afraid of herself... Because she doesn't even know herself. At least, she thinks so. What does she want? What does she wish? What does she choose? Love or loyalty? Her sisters or her master? She doesn't know. Moreover, the part she doesn't understand most is her sorrowful self. Meranda wasn't suppose to be created, but the moment she was, Mercy felt like she doesn't know her own self.

Since when has the feeling called "sadness" was sown into her heart? Why has it float up into the surface? That is why if she was born a human, she would prefer to have an identical "mirrored" twin so she could understand more about her reflection and herself. The more she thought about it, Mercy finally came with the conclusion that Meranda wasn't evil like she claimed. In truth, the being called "Meranda" is simply the half of Mercy who is conflicted with insecurities and hurt. The Royal Advisor had attack that side of her and thus, Mercy could feel the pride in her chest, the unhealthy kind.

 _'That was why she had those sad eyes... Because she is the me who knew that all of this is useless.'_

Most humans refused to acknowledge their pain and suffering. They want to act tough and hide the pain away, keeping it close to their chest instead of seeking comfort from others. Alas, that it how humans work. They never wanted to reveal their vulnerabilities to others because it would make them look weak and manipulable. Both she and Serafina were no different. They both tried to put a strong front for their master, but it's clearly not working. They were unable to cure themselves of the plague called "emotions".

 _'Could it be possible that all those times when I felt sad, it was Meranda? No, that can't be. Master attached herself to me during the Christmas celebration a few years ago... I should know her since she is me, but then why can't I understand her?'_ she continued in her thoughts. _'Meranda was once a part of me - part of the real me, but... All I see is a stranger...'_

"Mercy, are you okay? You've been quiet for a while now." Serafina inquired.

"I-It's nothing. I was just thinking too much." Mercy snapped out of her thoughts, coming up with that half lie. "A-Anyway, would you want a twin as well?"

"I would, but not an identical one." her older sister smiled fondly. "I would want a younger sister who is like Brigid."

"Interesting..."

After their conversation, the sisters decided to go back to their rooms. Serafina was the first to leave since Mercy wanted to be by herself for a while. Taking out the harmless knife she tried to prank Serafina with, she played with the blade, only feeling water along the tip of her finger.

 _'You can't stabbed people with the blade made out of water, huh?'_

* * *

Meanwhile, in his room, King Henryk felt a little wary. It wasn't the reminder of Mother's Day that was taking a toll on him. He wasn't just thinking about Wanda, he was also concern over Brigid. Walking over to his drawer, pulled out a tiny salt crystal that was shaped like a flower. He remembered that during Father's Day last year, his daughter have left this out in front of his door. The memory only made him felt sad. She knew that he has been working hard, but he rarely have time to spend with her. Knowing Brigid, she probably doesn't care how small time can allow if it meant to spend just a little moment with her father.

Trailing away from the crystal, the King began to shift his focus to Mercy's warning back during April Fool's Day. Just what did she mean? That if he continues to delay, he'll eventually lost what he cherishes most? Something wasn't right. As King and a father, he'll have to get to the bottom of this. But where to start?

Maybe he could asked the sisters? No, that would only make them draw suspicion from him. He can't let them draw the conclusion that he is becoming suspicious of them. After all, they've guarded his daughter for years. To questioned them all of a sudden wouldn't be good. But then... What then?

Sighing, he looked at a portrait of the woman he loved, "Wanda, what am I to do?"

Leaving his room, King Henryk decided to take a walk. He has been doing that a lot recently. In a way, he could understand how Wanda felt with her moonlit walks. They were comforting in some way and getting out does freshen his mind. As he walks just around the corner, he almost bumped into Mercy.

"Oh! Your Majesty." Mercy curtsy. "Good evening."

"Good evening to you too, Mercy." the man replied back. Noticing that something was amidst, he noted, "You seem concerned."

"It's nothing..." she shook her head. "Please, excuse me."

It seemed like she was trying to avoid having a conversation with him. He turned to watch her go by.

"Mercy, wait." he ordered. She did as she was told and turned around to face him. "Has... Something happened with Brigid?"

"What do you mean?" she questioned, deciding to withheld the truth from the King.

After some silence were exchanged, Mercy excused herself again. This time, Henryk let her go. There was no point in questioning her now. He could see it in her eyes. Something had went wrong and it has already happened.

Once she returned to her room, Mercy closed her eyes to allow herself to go into a forced sleep. Overtime, she got used to doing this. Back then, she would usually be forced to go into sleep, but now, she learned how to dive into her subconscious without needing Meranda to cause the forced sleep. Within her subconscious, Mercy can see Meranda. It was truly her and not the Royal Advisor under control.

"I'm surprised that you willing came. I thought you wouldn't want to speak to me because of..." Meranda trailed off.

"I know. But I know that wasn't really you." Mercy assured.

"I know what you came here for. You wanted to know if memories make you the way you are." Meranda admits.

"The first memory I remembered was walking up within Master's lab. That first memory put me on the path to fulfill my purpose as a doll." Mercy started. "...But then, I spend more time with Brigid and I live as a sister. I don't know what to do, I'm conflicted. Between my loyalty to Master as a servant and my love to Brigid as a sister."

Her other self listened as she revealed, "I understand how you felt. I was once you and I still have those memories too. However, you and I both know what I'll eventually do. Unlike you, I'm completely bound to my loyalties. So I ask you, are you going to choose loyalty over love?"

"It doesn't have to be like that." Mercy looked away.

"I have a feeling that we'll be talking to each other more often. Sadly, I also have Master's memories as well since she has attached herself to me and separate us from each other. Perhaps, memories do shape who we are..."

"Yeah... Maybe you're right."

Returning to consciousness, Mercy was a bit upset that she didn't get what she wanted out of that conversation. Looking back at it now, it would actually make sense. If it was her back then, she would probably do the same. Not talking too much or expressing what she really want to convey.

Walking over to her desk to pull something from the drawer, Mercy found herself staring at a small silver box. Opening the lid, a melody started to play. Yes, it was a music box. Where she had gotten it from? That was easy. It was a long time ago, but the Royal Advisor had given her this music box back when she was less of a human. That is a surprise, don't you think? According from her master, it was found next to the her heart gem back when she was trying to find the necessary items to create her and Serafina.

She never understood why the master would give her such a thing, but accept it nonetheless. Perhaps this was as close as a mother loving her daughter, even though it felt cold and estranged. As the melody continues, Mercy thought to the song.

 _'This is strange. I'm so sure I've never heard this song before... So why does it sound so familiar?'_

From her origins, she doesn't remember. The only memories she has was waking up in the lab and discovering her body was made out of mud. Her birth name, her home, or anything else was just a blur. It was almost like she lost her previous memories when she became Mercy. But... If she had a past before being a Royal Guard, does that mean she once had a different kind of purpose?

The nostalgic and yet unfamiliar melody... Just what story was it trying to convey through the soft music?

Meanwhile... In her room, Brigid was in bed, reading "The Frog Prince" book that Mercy helped get for her earlier that day. The author's name was Hedera Araliaceae and there was a little note on the back of the front cover.

Inspired by my family's heritage, I decided to write a story about them.  
Some of what's written here is true, some are false, and some are make  
believed. I wished to preserve that happiness my ancestors once had.  
Only through this book, can that happiness be achieved. But perhaps one  
day, they will gain that happiness for real.

Well, that was very puzzling. What did the author of this book meant by that? As Brigid flips the pages, four words in large font said... "Once upon a time..."

* * *

 **1) Remember that the Royal Advisor had the power to see a little bit of the future, although it was vague? She was mediating, saw the lion eating the sun and immediately knew that her revenge will be finalized? Well, since a piece of her is within Mercy, through Meranda, Mercy can now see a little bit of the future... And she has access to the Royal Advisor's memories.**

 **2) What the Royal Advisor had said in German translate to this: "Awaken, slumbering soul from the abyss ..."**

 **3) I know what going on with Meranda is confusing, but bear with it until chapter 13 if you're still confused about this soul splitting concept.**

 **4) Yeah, so even I gave the Royal Advisor a backstory when she was in still living in Solwood. I used that Magician tarot card to based her youthful appearance. It would somewhat explained Serafina and Mercy's appearance. She once had Serafina's hair color, but Mercy's looks and everything.**

 **5) That vision of the future that Mercy had, you can think of it as what would have happen in the actual game if Mercy hadn't done precautionary actions.**

 **6) You guys might be/not be aware, but unless you've read my Halloween one shot, you probably won't understand who is Amaryllis. The reason I decided to introduce another Evil Spirit is to set up my MG story if everyone still wants me to do my version. Obviously if you have saw my thread where I paired up seemingly irredeemable villains to their corresponding sins, I had the Royal Advisor be pride. And throughout the chapter, I try to portray her as that. I pick Amaryllis for the name of the Spirit of Pride because it's a flower that represents pride. Plus, what color is the Royal Advisor wearing now? Purple with hints of red! Colors corresponded with pride and wrath!**

 **7) I can't help myself. It's Mother's Day in the story. Why wouldn't the dolls questioned where babies come from?**

 **8)** **Araliaceae is the plant family where the English Ivy comes from and Hedera is part of the scientific name for the English Ivy.  
**

 **What do you guys think? Leave a review and I'll see you soon.**


	12. Chapter 12

**We have another chapter and on boy. That is an ominous title. I'd like to mention that in this chapter, there are scenes that happen not in chronological order. It's because I don't want to cut back and forth between the scenes. Otherwise, the scenes would be short. I'm letting you guys know beforehand so when you read this chapter, you won't get confused at the sequence of the two scenes. Well, enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 12: Inevitable Fate

Two years have passed and the Grak Princess turned thirteen. As a gift, the King - now in a fine age of thirty three - gave his daughter a new dress. He had the dress inspired off of Wanda's. As his daughter grew, she was becoming a splitting image of his dearest beloved. The Princess gratefully accepted the gift and tried it on. The Royal Guards and the Grak King waited for Brigid to return... As well as a few servants from the palace.

When she came out, she was wearing a forest green dress with a white trim and some coral detailing at the end of the light green layer of the skirt. The innermost later has a darker shade of green at the bottom of the dress. She wore a coat with parts of the skirt aligns with. Creme white, long sleeves with ruffled ends, the coat has some coral trimming and the gold detailing on the creme color of the overskirt was similar to her mother's dress. There was a coral pink bow in front of the neckline and a lacy white choker with a green ribbon tied around her neck. Her long hair is let down, reaching down to her waist. A small gold tiara is on her head with tiny ivy plants on the right side of her hair.

They were astound. She truly grew to greatly resemble her mother as the girl give a little twirl to show off the dress. Some of the servants - whom were mostly males - were eying the Grak Princess. Serafina send a glare down their way as a dark aura manifested around her, forcing the servants to back down, coughing awkwardly. Mercy hid a small giggle at her older sister.

She recalled telling Serafina two years ago, as it was tradition for any kingdom, that Brigid would have to find a suitor to rule with when it is her time to inherit the throne eventually. That sends alarm bells ringing at the older Royal Guard's head. She began to question why can't their little sister simply rule the kingdom alone. Even if that option was possible, suitors would still would want her hand in marriage no matter what reason. Political choices, alliances created, marriage to avoid a war... The list goes on and on. Serafina didn't take the answer too well and being the overly protective sister, she won't let anyone use or hurt Brigid and get away with it. If she ever catch someone breaking her sister's heart, she'll burn them right on the spot!

Why, just a year ago...

 _There was a servant boy who was admiring the Princess. After all, interactions with servants and royalty rarely happens, so it was understandable why the boy was excited. However... He might be overstepping the boundary a bit when he started holding her hands._

 _"C-Can you please let go of my hands?" Brigid requested meekly._

 _A hint of blush was on her face since she was never touched by a boy around her age before. However, she was telling the servant boy to let go not because she didn't like him or he was making her feeling uncomfortable. There was a reason for that._

 _"Why, Princess?"_

 _The Salt Princess was glancing around her shoulders worriedly, on a lookout for her older sister. She was trying to warn the boy and get him to leave. They can't be seen together at such close proximity._

 _"Eek!" Brigid directed her attention at the bushes, having spotted glowing eyes and a dark, murderous aura._

 _Serafina stood up, having been spotted. She was glaring at the servant boy who was still holding Brigid's hands. That dark aura that surrounds her got even bigger._

 _"Isn't that your Royal Guard? Why do you seem worried of her?" the boy questioned, oblivious that he is done for._

 _"I'm not worried about her, I'm worried for you!"_

 _"Huh?"_

 _The Royal Guard basically threw a sword between them, shocking the children. That did the trick. He finally let go of the Princess' hands._

 _"How dare you get intimate with Princess Brigid! Is it forbidden to try to woo her heart at such a young age. Have you no shame? As her Royal Guard, such a disgrace is punishable by death!"_

 _"W-Wait, Serafina! He isn't doing anything to me!" the girl tried to reasoned as the boy hid behind her._

 _"Coward! You better run before I scorch you to nothingness." she threatens._

 _The dark aura grew even more stronger and monstrous around her as she summoned her elemental power._

 _"Ahh!" the boy screamed, fearing for his life._

 _Having heard all the commotion, Mercy just walked in to see the boy ran passed her followed by her older sister._

 _"What's going on?" she wondered._

 _"We have to go after them!" Brigid told Mercy as the two of them followed suit._

 _After chasing the pair, the two sisters finally caught up. Serafina has gotten the servant boy cornered behind a wall as she was ready to use her powers to burn him alive!_

 _"Any last words?" she taunts the frighten soul._

 _"Merce, you have to stop her! Sera is going to kill that poor boy!" Brigid pleaded._

 _The younger Royal Guard was hesitant. She wasn't the same height as her elder sibling. She wasn't quite sure if she can secure her. Although, if she tiptoed, she might be close enough to reach her height. Sneaking quietly up to her sibling, just before Serafina could attack, Mercy slipped her arms under hers, holding her back and stopping the attack._

 _"Let go of me, Mercy!" Serafina yelled as she struggled._

 _The younger Royal Guard was also struggling in restraining her older sister. Because of the slight height difference, it was hard to keep Serafina from moving. With her older sister flailing about, Mercy was sure that she might get lifted off the ground and thrown around. So, she resolve that problem by having ice forming and encasing around her feet, ensuring that it stays firmly planted on the ground as she tries to keep Serafina at bay._

 _Running to the boy, Brigid explained that it was okay for him to leave. The servant gave a nod before escaping... But not before_ _pulling down his lower eyelid and sticking out his tongue at Serafina. Sighing at the troubling scene, Brigid turned towards her older sister. A look of exasperation and a hint of embarrassment was clearly on her face. From the looks of it, it seems that Serafina has calmed down already, having exhausted herself from all her flailing._

 _"Enough already..." she quietly muttered before walking to her sisters. Flicking her sister's forehead with her index finger, Brigid responded with, "Dummy!"_

 _"Ow! What are you... That hurts! Why did you do that, Bri?" Serafina whined, placing her hands on her forehead as she made a sad pouting face._

 _"Because you can't go attacking every boy who got close to me." the Princess chastised. "Otherwise, you'll be hated."_

 _She was angry, but she was trying to help. She deeply cares for her sisters and wouldn't want anything bad happening to them. Otherwise, it would have made her sad._

 _"Gee, Serafina. I never knew you had such a severe case of a sister complex." Mercy remarked, letting go of her elder sibling as the ice around her feet melted away._

 _"It's not a complex, Mercy." the Royal Guard insisted. "I'm just trying to protect Brigid."_

 _"Anyway, how did it went from wanting to protect me to chasing down that poor boy with the intent of burning him alive?" the Princess questioned._

 _"I wasn't planning on burning him alive, just rough him up a bit." Serafina mumbled, twiddling her fingers embarrassingly._

 _"Ah... That might be my fault." Mercy admitted. "I gave her some books to read on other cultures. Apparently, I think treason against the royal family is punishable by death. I assume Serafina took that the wrong way."_

 _"Mercy, how could you?!"_

 _"It's not my fault! I didn't think Serafina would take it so seriously and quite literally."_

 _Since then, the sisters, specifically Mercy, were tasked to make sure that the older Royal Guard won't ever conduct herself in that type of manner ever again. She may send a message, but she can never straight out attack someone whom she believe will harm the Princess. The result have improved. The older sister has managed to control her urges to end any fiend's life and have reduced her over protectiveness down to a simple glare along with the "keep away" aura of hers._

Anyway, back to the present...

As the Salt Princess was about to run off, she nearly bumped into the Royal Advisor.

"Oh, sorry, Ms. Cailleach." Brigid apologized.

"It's alright, dear." the old woman insisted. Holding her hands, the witch remarked, "You've certainly have grown, Princess."

She gave a warm smile in return.

 _'She's very nice.'_ the girl thought happily.

From a distance, Mercy watched worriedly at the two. She was so concern, she didn't hear the King approaching behind her. King Henryk said nothing and followed her gaze after noticing her expression. He too, frowned at the scene and also grew concern. As for Serafina, she turned her sight away, not wanting to see her master conversing with her precious little sister. After hiding behind the curtains, the older Royal Guard was about to teleport away from the Throne Room, but Mercy stops her.

"Serafina, wait!" Mercy whispered behind the curtains.

"Why?" the older sister asked, clearly a bit irritated.

The younger sister flinched a bit. This wasn't the first time Serafina displayed such loathing emotions. Still, the attitude she felt towards the Royal Advisor that is directed at her always make her flinch.

"We don't really have a choice in this, Serafina." Mercy started out slowly.

"Is that all you came to tell me? I really have enough of Master's belittlement of me already, I don't need you to start reminding me too."

"That wasn't my intention."

"I know. I-" older Royal Guard sighed. "I know. I'm sorry if it's like I'm venting my anger towards you."

"I understand that you didn't meant for that to happen the way it did."

"Listen, Mercy. I really don't want to talk about Master or her plans right now. I just - I just need some time to myself, please?"

"Wait-"

Not waiting for a response, she teleported away, leaving behind cinders in the air. Mercy sighed as she looked out of the curtains. The Royal Advisor was gone, so was Brigid and the King. It was most likely that Brigid will seek out Serafina, King Henryk will resume to his paper work, and the Royal Advisor will be sipping tea in her room. Sighing again, Mercy leaned against the wall, letting the drapes shield her from the light.

 _'I wanted to asked you... If you think this life of ours will last.'_

Memories of that haunting dream flashed in her mind. Serafina laying on the ground near the entrance to the Underground Lake, Brigid's lifeless body abandoned in the Abyss, and the entire world completely turned into salt.

 _'Knowing that my future will play out like this... It's just too cruel...'_

The girl lowered her head with her hand covering her eyes as tears started to fall. She wanted to tell someone. But how? She can't. It was knowledge that she has to keep for herself. Telling such a dark truth would only resulted in the construction of poor comforting lies. Besides, no one would believe her. Even if they did, they would only grew to distrust her. In all honesty, she wished she could be like Serafina. That girl never like things to be complicated. She's the type who would most likely run when the situation got out of hand. That's why Mercy could tell that if given the chance, Serafina would run and wouldn't hesitant to betray their creator.

After all, the Royal Advisor already hurt her. There is no doubt that their estranged relationship would only cause a bigger rift. As for Brigid, she most likely would run unless she is forced to face her problems. But living in a time of peace, that wouldn't be happening soon.

"You're running away again and leaving me all alone once more." the doll cried bitterly with a sigh.

Wait... What did she meant by "again" and "once more"? Realizing what she had just said, Mercy was shocked. Why did she said such words like that? Maybe something similar happened in her past before she first woke up in the lab? No, that was impossible. Then... Could that be Meranda speaking? After all, Mercy has already established that she is the embodiment of her sadness. Still... The doll shook her head in dismay.

It was a mistake - growing so deeply attached to her sisters. Because now, there is completely no way to deny her feelings right now. Perhaps she was in denial and wanted to believe the Royal Advisor's words. That the emotion called "love" was erased from her. But perhaps deep down, she knew that wasn't the truth. There are still traces of the emotion. She truly loves her sisters, but it only makes the story more and more sad. Because no matter what ending she gets, it will always end with her being alone with her sisters gone.

After some time to herself, the younger Royal Guard teleported to the Grak Palace and made her way to her room. By the time Mercy returns to her Snow Room, Meranda separated from her. She actually attained physical form and was confronting her without the need to dive into the subconscious. The manifestation was glaring at her followed with a fed up sigh.

"You used your love for the Brigid and Serafina to distract me." she seethed. "And just when I thought you were reminding that hopeless girl of our mission."

"How...?"

Mercy was completely shocked to see Meranda right in front of her. It was as if her own demon manifest itself. However, she was aware that the girl in front of her wasn't Meranda. It was the Royal Advisor, possessing her. It was a bit strange, to see your master with your looks. Perhaps it was because Meranda was a part of her, but seeing the Royal Advisor act like her was also strange... As if she was a different person when possessing the hurting side of her.

After some time, Meranda's expression softens, "Surprise to see me? Your expression was just priceless."

"How are you here when I'm not even forced to sleep?" Mercy asked, regaining her composure.

"Do you remember all those discarded dolls? Master original intends to have two of us." Meranda reminded. "Serafina was never supposed to exist because of her eventual failure."

Mercy winced at the reminder. It was also unsettling to hear it from her, despite it was really her master talking.

"Don't refer Serafina to that."

"Are you still thinking like that? You and her are too human." Meranda scoffed. "If you continue on like this, your love for the Princess will eventually lead to your uselessness too."

"Get to the point." Mercy muttered.

Meranda took a sit on one of the glass benches, in a somewhat unladylike manner. Crossing her legs and resting the side of her face on the palm of her hand from her propped arms, the splintered soul direct an amusing look at Mercy.

"Hm, feisty today, aren't we? Anyway, Ma - I - wanted to create two of us. And by 'us', I meant two servants of mercury. But because two water dolls cannot coexist together, it has to only be one. You know this already." Meranda continues. "However, after I place a piece of my soul inside your heart gem, I've manage to attach myself to your insecurities and fears. Basically, the weaker side of you - or the real you, if you consider it like that. It wasn't long until I separate that piece from your soul, thus the being you call 'Meranda' is born."

"So..."

"This form of mine is only temporary. Though you see me as a spirit, my body appears to solidify, granting me substantial form. Despite this, my body is with you."

"What is it that you plan to do?"

"My job is to make sure you do yours... As Meranda, we have to accomplish our master's - my - desires... With or without Serafina." Meranda replied. "I wonder if you have noticed what is happening with your Princess?"

"What?"

"Oho, so you haven't realized. Very well. Allow me to illuminate you..."

Through the Royal Advisor's magic, she pulled memories of what she saw and showed them to Mercy. The doll stumbles, feeling the weight of all those memories rushing into her mind. They were all the times when Brigid was suddenly fell and could never provide an explanation.

 _The time of Brigid's tenth birthday. Back when she was about to return to the palace with her sisters. She turned, but nearly tripped._

 _"Brigid!" Serafina exclaimed._ _They had caught her before she could fall._ _"Are you okay?"  
_

 _"What happen?" she had wondered._

 _"I-I don't know. I suddenly feel tired all of the sudden." was Brigid's explanation._

 _"You shouldn't sneak out in the morning or else you'll become tired. Let's go."_

 _Another memory flashed, but this one Mercy doesn't recall seeing. Perhaps it was what her master had seen._

From the Royal Advisor's memories, Mercy saw Brigid in her room. If memory serves her correctly, this must be on April Fool's Day two years ago. She recalled not wishing the girl goodnight. What had happen to Brigid back then?

 _In her room, the Princess was about to head to bed. However, she suddenly collapsed onto the floor. Shaking her head, the girl tried standing, but collapsed again. She had to crawl her way to bed before becoming unconscious._

 _Then, there was that time when Brigid wanted to find a book about her ancestry. The Frog Prince book was on top of the shelves and she had went to get it by climbing up on the latter._

 _"Aah!"_

 _She had lost her footing. Luckily, Mercy, at that time, caught the falling Princess before she could hit the ground. The moment after when she scolded the girl._

 _"Brigid! Thank goodness you're not hurt. You need to be more careful."_

 _"I'm sorry, Merce. I don't know what happen myself."_

 _"What happened?"_

 _"Suddenly, I felt a bit dizzy. I couldn't focus my sight. Everything seemed fuzzy for a moment."_

Meranda spoke once she saw the realization on Mercy's face, "It's because of the Salt Enchantment Ceremony. The Princess is close to reaching that special age."

"What does the Salt Enchantment Ceremony do? Will it help Brigid?"

"It won't. It will kill the Princess. That is why she has been feeling tired. Even though the ceremony hasn't being performed yet, as she grows closer to her 14th birthday, her life force is being drained. Every time she use her salt powers, she grows weaker." Meranda explained. "Master doesn't trust you to know. She had a feeling that you'll turned your back on your mission if you found out the truth and judging from your expression, she... I, had a good reason to keep it from you."

"What?"

"Now that you understand my motive... I think it's time for my turn to control you obediently."

"Ahh...!"

With some sort of invisible magic, Meranda forcefully pulled Mercy towards her, making the body whole again. However, this time, it wasn't Mercy who was in control. With her eyes turning silver with a hint of blue, the witch smiled. It would be hard to distinguish between the colors, so nobody would notice.

"I need to take a walk, so stay inside and remain asleep. Don't even think about resisting against me."

* * *

At the Training Ground, near the Edge of the Forest, Serafina was practicing the swings of her sword. Practicing swordsmanship always help her cool down. She continued like that since this morning after she disappeared from the Throne Room until she heard the sound of grass rustling. The Royal Guard stopped to turn, seeing that it was only Brigid.

The Salt Princess was dressed differently, looking more like she was ready to handle combat. The outfit was similar to the dress her father had given her this morning, only shorter on the skirt and on the sleeves, which - in Serafina's opinion - probably better with moving around than in a full length skirt. Because the skirt only reached to her knees, Brigid wore white tights with ivy designs and green slippers.

However, that doesn't change her opinion that wearing dresses are suitable for sword fighting. It could make the wielder look fierce while being cute, but no one is really going to take anyone seriously if they were wearing a dress. The Royal Guard snapped out of her thoughts when she saw a sword in the girl's hands.

"What are you doing, Brigid?"

"I thought you might need someone to help practice your swings." Brigid replied.

Earlier, after the Princess found Serafina, she was watching from the sidelines until she decided that her sister needed someone to duel. Plus, she wanted to try the arts of sword fighting too. Hence why she left all of the sudden to go changed out of her dress and into a different one.

"Brigid, I can't."

"And why not?"

"Because... Pfft!" Serafina tried holding back a laugh. "I'm sorry, I can't take you seriously if you wear a dress. You just look so adorable!"

"But Mercy wears a dress and you never laughed at her." the girl pouted, her cheeks flushed a bit. "Also, don't they say appearances can be deceiving?"

"Well... That's because I never seen Mercy wield a sword before." the Royal Guard tried to find an excuse.

"Please?" the girl pleaded. "Don't hold back on me just because I'm your little sister."

"Alright, but just to warn you, I won't be going easy." she paused. "...Even if you wear a dress."

"Likewise." Brigid smiled confidently with determination in her eyes.

They both took their stances. For a while, it was just them looking at one another, waiting to see if the other will make the first move. Coincidentally, they both dash forward at the same time. They fought, swinging at each other with neither holding back. This was all done with effort. Initially, Serafina was surprised. She had expected for Brigid to lose, but she unexpectedly managed to do very well. She was blocking all of her attacks and had made great progress on her attacks. This was surprising indeed. Who knew that such a dainty looking Princess can be such a tough fighter?

Eventually, both sides took a step back and stopped, panting from the effort they put into blocking and attacking.

"I'll say this in advance." Serafina spoke.

"What?" Brigid inquires.

"This is fun."

"It is fun for me too." the Princess smiled with a determined look on her face.

They both run, raising their swords for a final swing. The clash between metal and metal met. The sound rang with a clang. Only one of them came out the loser, disarmed, and the other came out the victor.

"Congratulations." Mercy clapped, having just found her sisters.

"Hey, Mercy." Serafina groaned. "Who taught you how to sword fight, Brigid? You're a natural."

"She may be a natural, but I wonder if you can fight two people at the same time." Mercy wondered, summoning a sword made out of ice.

"You want to fight too?" the older Royal Guard asked. "That's a bit unfair, isn't it?"

"I-I don't mind!" Brigid spoke up.

"See?" Mercy directed a sly smile.

Serafina shivered. It wasn't because of the chilly season. It was the way Mercy was smiling. Something about that smile seem to hide a devious intent. Little did they knew, it wasn't Mercy whom they are practicing with. It was Meranda, possessed by the Royal Advisor. After the sisters got to place, they all readied their battle stances.

"Mercy, are you sure you want to use that type of sword? What if the ice breaks?" the oldest sister asked.

"It won't. I made sure that it's stronger than any normal ice. The only thing that could break it is steel." the middle sister assures.

Soon, the fight starts. For a while, Brigid manage to fend for herself, but battling two people at the same time was hard. The two fought at a time that they didn't give her the time to think of a strategy. If she was fighting Serafina, Mercy would have an opening. And if she blocks Mercy's attack, she'd be too distracted to handle Serafina. This was indeed challenging.

Neither side weren't going to give up. For the sisters, they aren't worried about getting hurt. However, they are aware that in a mortal's body, the Princess cannot heal faster like them. So occasionally, they made sure not to strike too hard. Eventually, Serafina and Brigid were tired, having reached their limits because of their previous match. Under her master's control, Meranda was becoming a bit aggressive and competitive.

"Mercy, let's stop." Serafina pants, stopping her sword play.

"No." she answered with defiance, as if no one can tell her what to do.

"Mercy, Brigid and I are tired!" she reasoned.

"You're just weak." Meranda coldly replied.

With that remark, the middle sister ran forward, clashing her sword against Brigid's. The girl was too tired that she barely could have blocked the attack. She stumbles, taking a few steps back.

"W-Wait, Merce. I'm too tired, I'm not ready yet." Brigid stutters.

"Stop it, Mercy!" Serafina yelled.

But Meranda wouldn't listened, ignoring her sisters' pleas. She continued her attack, forcing the Princess back. Too exhausted, Brigid lowered her sword in response. Taking another shot at the defenseless girl, Meranda tried another attack. Surprised and on instinct, the Princess raised her sword to block. Sadly, she wasn't quick enough to block efficiently, earning a long cut on her arm.

"Ah!"

Immediately after, Meranda stopped. It was when she heard the sound of her cries that Mercy regains control over her body again. She was shock and completely distraught at the damage she allowed her other self to inflict onto Brigid. Dropping her sword, Mercy helped settle the Princess down.

"Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry, Brigid!"

The girl didn't respond. Whether it was because she was angry or was in pain, Mercy didn't know. All she did was summon a dragonfly to sprinkle a little salt on her wound. Luckily, the cut wasn't something serious and with the salt, it might disinfect the wound. Serafina finally had caught up to them, checking on her sisters.

Examining the cut, she comment, "Gee, Mercy. A little too excited, don't you think?"

Mercy kept quiet. She can't really tell that it wasn't her who did this. Looking down in shame, the younger Royal Guard starting to heal the injury with her water powers. She continued until the cut slowly closes. It was as if there wasn't a wound in the first place.

* * *

After the sword fight, Brigid and Mercy were given a chance to talk. For one, Mercy needed to apologize to Brigid for hurting her, even though it wasn't really her who did it. Luckily, Brigid accepts the apology with no resentful thoughts towards her middle sister. However, the reason why she wanted to speak with Mercy is because she has been waiting patiently. She also wants to understand Mercy more and perhaps if she knows her secret, she will. They were sitting on the bench in the Royal Garden. At the moment, it was just silence and awkwardness.

Brigid took a small glance at Mercy. Her sister who always hides behind her smile with her feelings locked up inside. She was the most mysterious that Brigid sometimes had a hard time figuring out. Meanwhile, Mercy was considering on which secret she should let out. Her fate is inevitable and she knows that, but she might be able to warn Brigid of the impending danger. Obviously, she can't tell Brigid certain truths... Like how she is growing up to become a unknowing sacrifice. As the second oldest, she can't just break it to her like that. Besides, she doubts the Royal Advisor would even allow her to spill certain beans. Finally, she decided to cut to the chase.

"Brigid, can you keep a secret?" Mercy asked as Brigid nods in response. "Listen very closely and never speak of this to anyone, okay?"

"Okay."

This was now her chance! She must take every precautionary action to ensure that that her little sister lives. Never does she wished for that dream to come true.

"If one day, I'm not acting like myself and I've started hurting people... It's because by then, the Mercy you knew had already died. I will become an empty shell... And an evil, cold being has taken over my body and claimed my name. If that happen one day, I want you, Brigid, to personally end my life."

As she explained, Mercy wasn't quite sure if she meant that her dying was literally or figuratively. Who knows? It could be both. Brigid seems to be thinking about the same thing. She can never imagine someone replacing her sister literally and suddenly hurting people nor can she understand if Mercy was speaking metaphorically and that she'll actually take a life. The entire request just seemed so sudden and upsetting. It sounded ridiculous.

"Why would you asked me to do such a thing, Merce?"

Mercy looked down, "You don't have to know the reasons why I'm suddenly hurting people. You just have to fulfill my wish. Only you can do it, Brigid because... That's how much I truly love you."

"That's how much you... Truly love me?"

Mercy nodded, "In a different country - somewhere in the east - there are these flowers called Sakura. They are very beautiful, but the lifetime of these flowers are short. My love for you are just like them. They're beautiful and the fragrance are sweet, but eventually, the flowers wilt, becoming ugly before dying over time. But... With hope, the flowers eventually bloomed, reborn in the next spring. My love for you is like that. Even though it may be short, it will last till the next lifetime."

"You love me so much that you would trust me to do... To do such a thing?"

"Yes."

The Salt Princess shook her head, "That will never happen. I'm sure that it won't ever come to that."

"But if it does, do you promise?"

"I... I promise." the girl paused hesitantly. "But I don't understand. Why?"

"Because... To not be with the people I loved the most, I would rather die." Mercy answered. "I have grown a little tired of my current life."

"Your current life?"

"It's time for me to tell you my secret. Mine and Serafina's. After all, this was the secret I had promised to tell you when you grew up." Mercy explained. "Serafina and I... We aren't human like you. We are dolls. That is why we never knew so much about your world."

"So that is why you never celebrate birthdays and many others..." Brigid realized.

"Correct." Mercy paused. "I understand... If you don't want to be near me or Serafina. We weren't humans to begin with."

Perhaps that was the better option. Having already grown so attached, it was probably best to end it all before more suffering occurs, right? But even so, it would be quite a sad and lonely way of living. Mercy understood that. It was, after all, normal for any human being to lose trust in the person who've kept big secrets.

The Salt Princess hold her hand as she looked at her in the eyes, "Even if you and Sera are dolls, it doesn't matter. You two aren't my guards, but my sisters. And, I know... Although your bodies aren't real, your souls - yours and Serafina's - are. You're both real and you deserved to be humans as much as I am."

She was shocked. She didn't expect for her sister to react so well despite this was one of the biggest secrets she has kept from her.

"Thank you, Brigid. Really..." Mercy wrapped her arms around her little sister.

Although Brigid thought that Mercy did it for comfort, it was actually because she wanted to hide her tears. They remain that way for a while until Mercy was ready to pull back. Sighing, the Royal Guard got up, promising to see the Princess at a later time.

* * *

Left alone, Brigid eventually got up to go find Serafina. Truth be told, she was unhappy and a little upset over what Mercy had told her, especially when the middle sister sounded so sure that she'll not be herself in the later future. In hopes to cheer herself up, she immediately thought of Serafina. Returning to the Training Ground, she found Serafina continuing to perfect her stance as she swing her sword.

"Sera." the girl called out.

"Oh... Hey, Bri." Serafina greeted until she gasped, "Brigid, what's wrong?"

"I feel a little down..." the Salt Princess admits.

Placing a hand on her shoulder, the older sister asked, "Would you care to tell me why?"

"I'm sorry..." the girl mumbled.

Serafina frowned before sighing. With a twirl of her hand, the Royal Guard made a firework display. It was on a small scale, and tiny colorful sparks blossomed like flowers. Purple, red, pink, and yellow sparks. Tiny sounds can be heard as the fireworks ignites. Phew, phew, phew, ping, ping...

Taking Brigid's hand, Serafina place the tiny ball of fireworks into the girl's hands. Holding the fireworks in her cupped hands, the Salt Princess smiled as she felt the sparks fizzled near her cheeks. Seeing Brigid cheered up a bit also brings a small smile to Serafina's face.

"This... Brigid," she spoke. "Is how I express my love for you. I love you like the fireworks brightening up the dark sky. The way fireworks lit the sky so beautifully. Though the light will eventually dim, the bright colors leaves a spark behind."

"This is how much you love me?"

"Yes. Do you understand?"

"Mm." she nodded. "Thank you, Sera."

"You're welcome, Bri." Serafina warmly smiled.

Eventually, the fireworks eventually died. Much like how the tiny lights dimmed, the girl's smile also falters.

"Oh... The fireworks are gone..."

"It's alright. I can always make more." the older sister assured.

And she did as she summoned more tiny fireworks. Bright colors continued blooming again. Seeing the flowers blooming in the sky, the Princess' smile returned. It was a beautiful sight. As the girl watched the tiny lights, a thought came to her mind. Why did her sister pick fireworks specifically to compare her love? Did these tiny lights have a meaning behind them?

Seeing Serafina watching the miniature fireworks with such longing eyes, Brigid began to wonder, _'That look that Sera has... It's not just any type of longing. I wonder... Who is she thinking of while continuing to gaze at the blooming flowers dancing in the sky?'_

Curious over her sister's fondness towards the sparkling fizzles, Brigid asked about it. She also questioned the Royal Guard's apparent yearning for someone. Although she doesn't recalled, Serafina mentioned that the fireworks helps her cope with her sadness. Specifically why though, she doesn't remember. The memory was a blur and anything about her past were forgotten. Although... She does remember someone who was once close to her. They were the ones who showed her the beauty and magic of these light flowers.

It was strange, really. The more she thought about it, the more she wonders. Perhaps whatever past she lived before becoming a doll, her love for fireworks were subconsciously transferred over. Maybe... The real reason why she really love these light flowers is because that person whom she was once close to had always kept her company. In a way, now that she was seeing her little sister upset, she was reminded of her old self. Perhaps that it why she decided to show her little secret to cheer the Princess up.

"It sounded like you were in love." Brigid teased.

"Maybe I was." the Royal Guard replied, thinking about it.

The girl immediately started to pout as she continued her teasing, "If you are infatuated with someone, I wonder if you'll stop loving me one day."

"Oh? What is this I see? Is my little sister trying to be coy?" Serafina joked as Brigid playfully stick out her tongue as a response. "Well, in that case, I think the Princess needs a little punishment for doubting her older sister."

Her eyes widened as she started to take steps back. Serafina raise her hands up and wiggled her fingers before laughing mischievously. The girl screamed before turning around and running for her life, initiating the chase. Serafina laughed before running after her.

"You can run all you want and as many times as you want, but you won't get far! I'll always find a way to bring you back each and every time!"

After five minutes of running, the Royal Guard finally caught up to the Salt Princess before tackling the girl into the ground. The girl cried out, pretending to be frightened.

"Please, have Mercy." she meekly respond.

"Mercy isn't here to protect you right now." Serafina sneered.

The Princess struggled against the older girl, but her eyes sparkle with amusement, "Sera!"

"Let your punishment begins." the Royal Guard declared as she started to tickle her.

"No! Ahahaha!" Brigid laughed as Serafina tickled her side. "No, no, no! Please... L-Let go, Sera! Ahahaha..."

"Ehehe... I won't ever let you go." Serafina giggled as she continued with the tickling.

"Ahh!" the Princess squealed in laughter as her older sister started to plant kisses on her cheeks.

"Even when you grow up, I won't ever give you up to suitors. No one will seduce my little sister."

After some time, Serafina exhausted herself and fall on her back right next to Brigid, who was taking deep breaths from laughing so much. She was also exhausted, so just laying in the grass was very nice. Turning her head to see her sister, Brigid smiled as she laced her fingers with Serafina's. They both smile before turning their sight at the sky. Silently, the two of them stared at the serenity above them. Such a beautiful day and it was so soothing that anyone would have dozed off. With some time passed, Brigid heard the sound of the grass. Tilting her head back as she looked curiously, she saw an upside down Mercy.

"What were you two doing?" she asked, having a look of amusement.

"Oh... Hey, Mercy." Serafina greeted.

"Me and Sera were enjoying the sky." Brigid answered, rolling onto her side as her sister was no longer upside down. "Would you like to join us, Merce?"

The middle sister had a hint of a warm, yet faint smile as she shook her head. Somewhere in the depths of those beautiful blue eyes of hers were sadness despite the bright smile she cast over for them to see.

"Maybe some other time. We have to go back."

Serafina got up, "She's right. The sun's about to set."

The sisters extended their hands as the Princess took both. Together, they headed to the palace until Mercy parted, having need to go somewhere.

* * *

Earlier that day, after Mercy had left Brigid from their private conversation, she went to the Palace Library. The stories there give her solace. She has a love towards Asian folklore because the tales talked about different kinds of love... And to whom the love is being directed at. There were so many kind - the love between family, the love between friends, the love between others of different status, and the love between lovers. There was another reason why she is attached to this building. The library was close to the Pavilion, which is next to a small pond formed from the waterfall.

While looking for a specific book to create certain potions, her sight was caught by a book next to it. Pulling both out, she read the title on the book that caught her attention. The Tale of Shim Cheong. Hm, a curious tale. Taking the book with her along with the one she was looking for, Mercy sat outside on a bench at the Pavilion. After just reading one page, she was already intrigued.

"Choo!" she unexpectedly sneezes.

Was someone still making fun of her? Anyway...

The story was about a girl named Shim Cheong. According to the naming system in Asia, the family name comes first and the given name comes second. Back to the story... She was very loyal to her blind father. Unable to see her father without his sight, the girl became a sacrifice so the old man can see again. She was a tribute to the Sea Goddess to calm the storm and raging sea. Out of pity, Thalassa give the dying girl a second chance, encasing the slumbering spirit inside a lotus flower. The flower floated to the surface and drift along until it reached a distant kingdom. It was found and give to the reining Prince. Eventually, the lotus fully blossomed and Shim Cheong was reborn - regaining physical form.

Just as Mercy was about to reach the ending, a lotus flower came floating by, its petals brushed against her shoes. Looking at the flower, Mercy sort of wish to be like Shim Cheong - to be reborn and given a second chance. The story so far made her feel puzzled. Reading about this girl, she felt like she knew Shim Cheong or at least had a connection, but doesn't recall anything.

"It's painful, isn't it?" a voice spoke sadly.

Mercy looked up to see Meranda sitting next to her. She appeared incorporeal, not physical like before. However, she knew that it was really her, not her master talking.

"What do you mean? I don't have love in my heart anymore." Mercy replied, recalling what the Royal Advisor had told her.

"That's not true, Master lied to you." her other self insisted.

"What?"

"The love in you - in us - has not disappeared. Despite what Master said, whether she spoke in real time or through me, the feeling was merely suppressed. It was never taken away from you." Meranda explained. "She thought that if she deceived you, you would believe it for truth."

Looking at Meranda, Mercy could see that a genuine conversation was forming from her hurtful side.

"Is that so?" she wondered.

The two sat in silence for a while until Meranda questioned fidgety, "Mercy, what do you think of me?"

"Pardon?"

"I consider you to be the real one. I'm just a former shadow of you." she admits.

"Let's not talk about that. I rather not discuss about that right now." Mercy replied.

Meranda nods as she stared at the distance with longing eyes, "What do you think is evil?"

"I-I don't know."

After thinking for a while, Mercy began to ponder on the question a little more. Just what in the world is evil? She doesn't understand that concept being a doll. It was very frustrating for her to don't know or understand something. She doesn't know how to react. During these two years, through Meranda, she would see glimpses of the Royal Advisor's memories. People call her evil. But what is evil? Someone who does heinous acts? Someone who is corrupted? Someone who wishes for others to suffer? It was a pretty ambiguous concept. The girl doesn't know if she, herself, is evil. There was only one thing she knows.

All human beings are greedy and selfish. She knows because she, herself, is the same as everyone else. She wants the love from Brigid, but she also want the love from the Royal Advisor. Does she really have to choose? Can't she choose both? Or was that not an option? It seemed that Meranda was thinking the same thing.

"I'm sorry, Mercy. But Master said one day, I might be the one convincing you to stray from what you want." the spirit sadly remarked.

"Why?"

"Because I'm selfish and evil." she simply answered before fading away.

Left all alone, Mercy began reflecting on the two options that were laid in front of her. There wasn't any more time to think of alternatives. The first was to defy her master, which probably would be the worse outcome. She could be killed. The witch has already made herself clear. She wouldn't even hesitant at the given opportunity. The second was to simply play her part - to put aside her feelings and play the part of the doll. The outcome from that would mean betraying those she loved. It might also lead to that dream she dread would come true.

But... What other choices does she has?

"I'm sorry, Brigid, Serafina... But it looks like I'll be losing this battle between myself." she apologized.

If fate is so against her, then fine. If she must, she shall play the role of the villain. Even if it ends up with her being hated, it will be worth it if she can see Brigid alive and well... And just perhaps if she dies by her hand, she'll get the chance to catch a glimpse of her real self before she sleeps forever.

The doll let out a tiresome sigh.

Had she known that this was the choice she was going to choose, she wished that she hadn't allowed love to enter her heart since the beginning. Sharing a close bond with her sisters will only make everything more sadder. It will make things more difficult for her. Just then, another thought came to her mind. Letting out another tired sigh, Mercy shook her head. She was tired over everything. It was so complicated. Honestly, if she was a human, she'd probably would want to sleep forever so she wouldn't have to think of her ordeal.

Closing the book, Mercy got up to find her sisters. It was close to getting dark and they must return to the palace.

* * *

In the Throne Room, King Henryk sat on his throne. He was growing more and more concern. The source of his distress was towards the Royal Advisor. After Mercy had warned him that day, he has gotten more suspicious towards the old woman. The King sighed tiredly. It was getting late at night.

Getting up from his throne, the man left the room and went to the Grak Palace. While he was about to go to his room, he noticed the door to Mercy's Snow Room slightly ajar. That raise curiosity as well as suspicion. He was a bit curious since it was the younger Royal Guard who had warned him about the impending future. There was also that look she gave this morning at the Royal Advisor. He wanted to see if she was inside. At the same time, he wanted to know what she is doing. If he can't trust his own advisor, that would mean he can't really trust the sisters, right? After all, she did created them.

Reaching out, the King was about to push the door a little wider until he shook his head, "I shouldn't pry on her."

Gripping on the door handle, he pulled the door, closing it. Frowning as he resume to his room, the King wondered where the younger Royal Guard would go at this time in the night.

Meanwhile, roaming around the kingdom in the middle of the night was Mercy. She was wearing a light blue cloak. Despite the cloak was probably unnecessary seeing that everyone was asleep, it was still better to hide herself. Under the light of a full moon, the water doll pulled down her hood to stare at the giant pearl in the sky. Now, why would she be out at this hour? The answer is simple. She is searching for ingredients to create a special kind of potion - a memory potion to be exact.

After scouring the Grak Kingdom for the ingredients she needed, the water doll very soon returned to her room. Opening the book, Mercy began to brew the potion. According to the spell book she found, the memory potion can act in two ways: one, restore all memories including those that could have happened in a different life or two, suppressed all of them.

As much as she prefers the former and fill in the blanks she has been experiencing over the years, she won't be restoring her memories. Having knowledge now isn't the right choice, especially with her situation currently. If there is ever a day when the Royal Advisor might overwhelm her, she plans to suppressed her memories so her master's soul can also be suppressed.

Taking a ladle, Mercy scoop a spoonful of the potion and pour it into a glass vial. Sighing, the girl stared sadly at the receptacle.

 _'This is just extra precautionary action.'_ she reminded herself.

Looking up at the table, Mercy looked at the lotus flower - the same one she saw at the Pavilion. She had taken the flower with her after finishing with her melancholy thoughts. There was one thing she had to do. From the story she read, there was this ancient legend. The legend was created - inspired after Shim Cheong.

She sacrificed her life to get her wish to come true, so her father can get his sight again. But of course, she was reborn because of her charity and her wish came true. What was lost might be returned. Shim Cheong lost her life, but she got it back. If Mercy understood the tale right, if she gives up something, she might get what she wants. After much thought, she decided to part with her bracelet in order to get her only wish. Whether her wish is guaranteed to be granted or not, it doesn't matter. She want this.

Taking the lotus flower, Mercy left her room to go to the Lakefront. Alone at the shore, the girl stares longingly at the distance with the flower clutched closely onto her chest. Taking off her shoes, the water doll dipped her feet into the cool lake. Walking till the water reached to her knees, she stopped.

If you make a wish and whispered it in the lotus flower  
And part with something that you cherished  
And let it get swept away by the water, then perhaps, one day...  
There's a chance you'll regain what you've lost...  
Your wish may just come true

That was how the legend goes. Using her water powers, Mercy retrieved her bracelet - the same one that she was forced to throw away a few years ago - from the water. Staring at the piece of jewelry in her hands, she was delighted to have it back, but was immediately sadden that she'll have to part with it after. It made sense. This was the only physical object that she treasured despite how briefly she worn it. It was necessary to part with it to get her wish to come true... Hopefully. Besides, it's possible she might get her bracelet back one day.

She couldn't even keep it even if she wanted to anyways. Her master would know and might control her through Meranda again. So, she place the blue bracelet inside the lotus flower. Inside the flower should also be a wish. But... What wish should she make? She doesn't know. There were so many wishes, so many dreams. It was impossible to boil it all down to one. Should this wish be for herself or for someone else? The wish wasn't for physical gain, it was more spiritual.

"Can I join you?" a soft voice spoke.

Looking to her side, Mercy saw Meranda. From one glance, she can already tell that it wasn't the Royal Advisor. It was purely her sadness alongside her.

Given a small nod, the doll smiled, "Sure."

Giving the lotus flower, Meranda hold it. Without the Royal Advisor interfering, it was just her and her other half. Together, they thought of a wish and whispered into the lotus before closing the petals, placing the flower onto the water's surface. They both gently pushed the lotus further away.

Once it was far, Meranda faded away as Mercy controlled the water to give the flower a stronger push. Very soon, it was left to drift away towards the misty horizon. She doesn't have to worry about the Salt Enchantment Barrier. Although it surrounds the kingdom, there were a few ways of entries. Some area of the Salt Mine connects to the outside world... The same thing can be said about the water. Even if her theory was wrong, she had already prepared for that. Looking up, the doll stared as the lotus drift away from the kingdom and out to the world. The destination where it was heading was unknown.

Directing her eyes to the sky, Mercy sadly smiled at the twinkling stars that shines above her.

 _'If I were to have my wish granted, the only thing I desire would be...'_

* * *

 **1) I don't have siblings, so I don't know what a relationship with one is like, but I get the vibe that Serafina is the overly protective sister. So any topic about suitors trying to win Brigid's hand... Well, I feel she won't do well with that. I also got the vibe that Serafina has a bit of a sister complex just the way she reacted in RotSP. Don't believe me? Remember this quote?**

 **"Princess Brigid is too weak to stand up? Who did this to her? I will _kill_ anyone who hurts the Princess."**

 **You can hear that "kill" part quite clearly.** **Also when it comes with sisterly love or sworn sisters, I feel like they would teased their relationship a lot. Even I teased you guys a lot because I consider you guys like family :)**

 **1.5) I've seen many Asian drama where you finger flick someone on the forehead. I added that in because apparently, it's suppose to be used as punishment.**

 **2) Remember my warning in chapter 9? That's right. Brigid started to feel the effects back when she turned ten years old. Don't believe me? Go back and reread it.**

 **3) The warning Mercy gave to Brigid, about how she will die and someone else will taken her place, be aware that she could either be speaking metaphorically or literally. Metaphorically, because she is doing her part - acting like a doll, so she isn't really herself. Literally, if the Royal Advisor succeed in possessing Mercy's body through Meranda. We'll see which of these outcome will rise.**

 **4) The promise Mercy was referring to was in ch 8.**

 **5) Welcome to the teaser of Serafina's possible past life.**

 **6) Ah, so sad. Scenes with Serafina and Brigid are warm and happy. Every scene with Mercy and Meranda are sad and depressing.**

 **7) The legend is made up, just so you know. Although, it would have been really cool if traditions centers around like that. Obviously, I created that legend based on the story of Shim Cheong.  
**

 **Okay, I'll be saying this. A little selfish of me, but I have to say it. When you read this chapter, give my reviews as quickly as you can! I'm on a time constraint and I cannot wait for you guys to review! And if you've got catching up to do, also review on the chapters you forgot!  
**

 **Anyway, with that being said, please review. I really value your opinion on how well I did on certain scenes, character development, exploration, and everything. I'll see you guys very soon.**


	13. Chapter 13

**For so long, the previous chapters have developed Serafina and Mercy very well. We even have some fun chapters. But now, it's time for King Henryk to return for his moments of glory. This is it. What will he do now that it's almost time?**

 **Also, DOUBLE chapters!** **Enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 13: Usurped Destiny

 _The world was dying. Everyone was dying. Screams, cries, and the sound of despair was all that she heard. Of course, she was dying too, having been severely injured. Her back was bleeding and a pool of blood surrounds the maiden. Her vision was hazy as she can feel her soul leaving her body. But despite she felt cold and numbness all around, somewhere - someone - was radiating warmth. From her hazy vision, she could see a man. He was holding her hand in his, crying._

 _"I won't let you die!"_

 _'Die?'_

 _"I won't let you go! I'll save you, Shannon!"_

 _'Shannon? Who...?'_

 _Before the memory or dream ended, what she last saw was in the man's other hand. A blue gem that started to shine._

Opening her eyes, Mercy felt very weak today, having to close them again. How very odd... She was in bed, feeling her body overheating. Sweating uncomfortably and breathing shallowly, the doll doesn't quite understand how or why she came down with a fever. She was a doll, so how could she catch it? Regardless, it was real. She can feel her cheeks burning.

 _'Why?'_ she wondered. _'Why all of a sudden... My body is overheating?'_

Trying to open her eyes, all she saw were the ceiling spinning. Feeling dizzy, she quickly had to shut them once more. After some time, she got up from bed before letting out a small cough. Feeling the soft snow under her feet, the doll got changed out of her nightgown into her usual attire.

Despite having a body made out of mud, she doesn't really feel the dropping temperature since her body isn't even real. Still, it was very unusual to experience a fever. For a brief moment, she was considering wearing warmer clothing before ultimately shaking the idea and heading out of her room.

It has been a few days after February 1st. Brigid has already turned fourteen years old. Ever since her birthday, she appears to retain her youthful looks. King Henryk, on the other hand, has become old. Pretty strange since he is only thirty four into his years, but he really feels old. With time, he started to grow a small beard and his slowly greyed hair is parted in the middle. The King started to wear a red robe and a blue, ermine-trimmed cloak. He has grown wiser these days, but some mistakes are easy for him to repeat.

With old age comes newfound wisdom and he has grown more suspicious of the Royal Advisor. She hasn't talked much to him after setting that Salt Enchantment Barrier so many years ago. It was almost like she was hiding something from him... And the sisters, they are with the Royal Advisor too...

He was not going to wait and simply sat at the sidelines. No more shall he follow the words of others. Today, he is going to get some answers. And he knows where to start... The Royal Advisor's room. Walking to the window, the King looked grimly down below. Speak of the devil, there the witch was. She was outside at the Royal Garden. A few feet away was Mercy, who was taking a stroll. Clearly, the girl was deep in thought. Whatever was dwelling in her mind, it didn't last long. Looking up to see her master, the water doll became tensed.

Looking down to avoid the old witch's gaze, much to her consternation, the Royal Advisor ignored her. Just as the crone passed by her, she whispered something.

"Do be prepared."

Be prepare? What does that even mean? Is it meant to be some kind of warning?

Confused, Mercy turned around, "What do you mean by that?"

Cailleach elaborated, "Very soon, I have no doubts that the Princess will be leaving. And she won't be coming back for a very long time."

"And why are you telling me this? Is it because it'll mess up your plans?" Mercy sassed. "Or is it because you're trying to spite me?"

The Royal Advisor simply chuckle in response, "Not at all. In fact, I think it will make it more interesting."

"But I thought you were getting impatient."

"Don't get me wrong, Mercy. Of course the Princess' soon departure will make me have to wait even more than I have to. However, if suffering and misery is the result of it, then I wouldn't mind waiting a little while longer."

"Then why did you told me?"

"I really want to see you and that _girl_ desperately cling onto that hope. And once you two realized and accepted your true roles - your real purpose for being brought into this world... You'll finally suffer like I did." Cailleach laughed before walking away.

Understanding that she won't be getting any more information out of her master, Mercy turned and went to find Serafina. She has to find and warn her about the inevitable. Even if it was probably a lie or a trick to let her guard down, she won't take lightly of the Royal Advisor's warnings, no matter how small or insignificant it might be.

Hearing the footsteps getting further away, Cailleach stops to turn around and smiled. Good. The girl was gone. Let her tell the failure. It wouldn't change anything. In fact, nothing is going to change. Looking up at a certain window, the person who was watching her was now gone.

 _'Oh, how foolish you are, Your Majesty.'_ the old woman sneered. _'No matter how hard you tried, there isn't really anything you can do or have done to prevent the path I've laid out for your precious daughter. It's impossible.'_

Impossible because it's too late. She was already one step ahead of everyone. The King, her dolls, everything and everyone. This was all planned out since the very beginning she came to this kingdom. So what if the King is searching for clues right now as she speak? It wouldn't change from her plans. After all, she left her room so the fool can search it. If there is anything she enjoys, it's that people getting their hopes up only for it to be replace with despair immediately after.

"The same goes for you too, Mercy." she mutters. "You and Meranda may think you can deceive me, but I am aware of it. Even if my plans were to fail, it would only be under your false presumption that you've won. All you're doing is prolonging my plans, nothing more."

A wider smile spread on her face. She recalled cursing a young man into a frog so many years ago. How long has that been? Oh, his suffering was glorious. How he became cold and unwanted, just like her. He still is. Even better, he's suffering from his new curse. She'll make sure that those who was against her are turned the same. She will turn them "evil" too and they will suffer just like her. They shall be hated, cursed at, and alone... Just like her. And it seems she has found her next victim to share her pain of loneliness. Who, you might asked? Well, that is for her to know and for you to find out.

While trying to find her sister, Mercy thought she saw something tossing around in the snow. Curious, she lightly run over to see what it was. To her surprise, it was a pair of beautiful blue birds. One of them was stuck in the snow and was desperately trying to get out. She was chirping in distressed while her sister was frantic, chirping and not knowing what to do.

Feeling pity, Mercy helped the trapped blue bird, cupping the freezing creature in her hands while the sister flown and landed on her shoulders. It looked like she made a few new friends.

After finding Serafina and giving her a quick run down on what the Royal Advisor had told her, they agreed to go to Mercy's Snow Room to start a plan of their own. And so, the sisters wasted no time.

* * *

In Solwood, Nuada had just returned to his home. Seeing his land abandon brought back sad memories. Of course, he would have preferred returning home after getting his daughter back, but that was out of the question at the moment. Besides, perhaps coming back to his forest might give him some time to find any spells to break the barrier that surrounds the Grak Kingdom.

But, of course, priorities first.

Walking to the Stone Sanctuary, the Dragon Prince stared at the golden cross. It has been a while since he visited Wanda's grave. He has been focusing on getting Brigid back, he had forgotten to pay his respects to his late wife. It made him feel guilty for it was like he was neglecting her.

Being a Daemon Evoker, Nuada doesn't quite understand religion. Back before the clan separate from the humans, they would share and accepted the different values and beliefs of others. But after, the clan has adapted a more... Philosophical lifestyle. Of course, Daemon Evokers believed in deities, but they mostly offered their prayers to the Moon Goddess. The Dragon Prince recalled his memories spend with Wanda. She explained the concept of how humans have graves as a way to honor and respect those who've passed away.

She wasn't an Evoker, so she deserved better than simply being buried in the ground. Kneeling in front of the grave, Nuada clasped his hands together. Perhaps he was lonely or he didn't want to internally expressed his thoughts, so he spoke out loud as if she was right there in front of him.

"Wanda... I'm sorry I haven't visited you in a long time." he started. After a short pause, he continues, "She has grown up to be like you... Brigid, I mean."

Another pause. At this point, the Daemon Prince doesn't know what else to say. He was left feeling awkward. Remembering the way how his daughter smiled and laugh, he did felt some joy. But the feeling didn't last because he realized how lonely he has become. Both his wife and daughter are unreachable. So close and yet, so very far.

 _'I really missed you.'_ he thought.

"I'll see you again, my lovely Moon Princess."

With nothing else to say and his desires to get his hope back, Nuada said his farewells to his wife before heading to the Dragon Fort.

* * *

In the Royal Advisor's room, King Henryk first made sure that no one was in the room. Nothing. That was good. Sneaking into the room, the King closed the door before beginning his investigation. He first tried the lab, but it was empty. He tried looking at books, anything that could give a clue of what she's truly planing. There wasn't anything! Just books on alchemy. Frustrated, the man pound his fist against the book shelves. A clank echoed in his ears. Looking up, he saw a tea cup has fallen. His eyes then trailed to the tea pot.

The Royal Advisor would always drink tea and pour the steamy water from the pot. Perhaps it was a clue? Taking a shot at it, the King went over to the tea pot. Opening the lid, there was something that caught his attention upon looking inside. There were three symbols in the pot. The alchemy symbols for salt, sulfur, and mercury. Those symbols are needed to gain access to the Arcane Lab.

Taking his chances, the King went to the Arcane Lab to find anything that could come of use. There were some annoying puzzles. Was it some sort of way to protect whatever the Royal Advisor was hiding? After solving the puzzle, there was a book - a diary.

 _When the Princess is of the right age, the Salt Enchantment Ceremony may be carried out. Using her life as a sacrifice and her life force as a battery for the Ceremony, the entire world can be turned into salt._

After reading the entire entry, Henryk was taken aback. All this time, the Royal Advisor never intended to help him. The true purpose of the Salt Enchantment Barrier is to amply the Salt Enchantment Ceremony. The King shook with rage. All this time, the witch had intended to harm his daughter, not help her. But as quickly the rage came, it eventually melts away. He had been aiding the witch without even knowing. It was now too late to realized his mistake. The Royal Advisor had already set up everything.

Sadly, Brigid has already turned fourteen. If she continues to use her salt powers, she'll be drained of her life force. Up till this point, it hadn't harmed her before, right?

 _'No... That can't be.'_ the man shook his head.

He remembered a time during Mother's Day, he had shared a short conversation with the younger Royal Guard.

 _"Mercy, wait." he ordered. She did as she was told and turned around to face him. "Has... Something happened with Brigid?"_

 _"What do you mean?" she questioned._

 _After some silence were exchanged, Mercy excused herself again._

At that time, he let her go. But he recalled looking into her eyes. They told him that something had happen - something wrong. Could it have been possible? That Brigid has felt the effects from the Salt Enchantment Ceremony before then?

The sound of the door closing startled the King as he turned to see the Royal Advisor.

"Read something interesting?" she teased. "You know, you should close the door behind you. Never know who could be watching."

"You!"

"It appears that I've been found out." Cailleach smiled.

"I want you to leave my kingdom!" King Henryk immediately ordered.

"Why? So soon? After everything I've done for you, this is how you repay my kindness?" she mocked.

"Don't you dare play with me! Everything you've done never helped me!"

"But, Your Majesty, who is really at fault here? Stop being so arrogant. We both know whose to blame." the Royal Advisor became stern. "You wanted to live in your ideal fantasies that Princess Wanda was captured by that Daemon Prince, accepted my help, sparked the war that lead to the loss of many, and entrusted the Princess' true heritage to me."

The King gritted his teeth, "I will admit, I have made many mistakes during my reign. It may be impossible for me to undo my mistakes, but I can still fix all of this. I now hereby banish you from the Grak Kingdom. I don't want to see you here ever again!"

There was a moment of silence until Cailleach burst out laughing, "AHAHAHA!"

"What's so funny?"

"What's so funny is exactly that! You think you're in the position to exile me? What a joke!" she laughed until her smile fell, "You're just the same as all the rest! That oaf of a Daemon King, the clumsy Forest Queen whom your beloved descended from, and now the conceited Grak King. You're all filled with so much pride and arrogance, I wonder if I am fitted to be the host for the Spirit of Pride? Unfortunately, Your Majesty, I'm more powerful than you."

"You're lying."

"Am I?" she tested. "You dare underestimate me!?"

Using her powers, she directed her magic at the King. Being a mortal with no knowledge of such witchcraft, Henryk was blown back. Landing on his back with a grunt, the man stood up to realized in horror at what the witch has done. Looking at his hands, he saw how old and wrinkled they looked.

"W-What have you...?" the King spoke before stopping.

His voice... It sounded so elderly.

"Surprised? I just took 20 years of your life and add them to mine." Cailleach explained. "That's not all I can do. Come in."

The door opened to reveal Mercy. She didn't look like herself as if she was under a trance. If he was honest with himself, the girl looked very much like when he first met her. Emotionless, not talking. Something wasn't right.

"Mercy..."

"Oh, don't look at her like that. She didn't betray you." the Royal Advisor grip at the doll's shoulder. "At the moment, Mercy cannot hear you. She's actually asleep right now."

"What?"

"I'm sure you've heard of my _check up_ on her? Back to that Christmas celebration, I've imbued a piece of myself into this girl. Now, her soul is split into two and are at conflict with each other. The one who continues to love and the other who wished to be loved."

"How could you do this? Despite they are your creations, don't you feel anything towards them?" King Henryk questioned, rage slowly build inside him.

"And why should I? They are merely dolls meant to be used and played with." Cailleach replied with little empathy.

The King was filled with anger. He thought back to Brigid. Imagining someone using his daughter... He doesn't even want to envision it. Looking back at the impassive girl, Henryk felt sorry for her and Serafina. He has seen the two of them enjoying their time with Brigid. But for them to be used against the purpose of protecting the Princess without choice, it was pitiful - living two lives.

Standing his ground, the man tighten his hands into fist, completely defeated. The Royal Advisor stood and laughed. After mocking him to enjoy his "last moments with his daughter", she left with Mercy quietly following her. Alone in the Arcane Lab, the King still stood. Out of any expression he could make, he looked up to reveal a determined look in his eyes.

"Not if I can help it."

Leaving the lab, Henryk began his plan. It might not work. The Royal Advisor has already proven herself prepared. It's possible that she might expected this. However, he will try and at the very least, attempt to delay the witch's plans. If this is to work, he'll have to act now.

* * *

Back at Solwood, Nuada was also thinking of a way to get pass the barrier in the Dragon Fort. There are two ways this could go once the defense is down. Take his daughter back without question or... Have a compromise with the Grak King. Although the former will reunite him with Brigid faster, the latter was more efficient and more appealing to both sides. While thinking all about this, the sadden father rocked the tiny crib gently, old memories of his daughter started to surface from under his pain and sorrow.

The last time since he talked to her was when she was four years old. But... She doesn't remember him anymore. Taking the dragon doll he once gave her in his hands, he whispered a vow.

"I will get you back, Brigid."

Just as the Daemon Prince was about to think more of a plan, he was startled by a tapping sound. It was a messenger bird pecking against the window. Surprised, Nuada left the dragon doll at the crib and opened the window as the bird showed a string with a letter attached tied around its neck. The man's expression became stern. This creature has been enchanted. That was how it was able to get pass the Salt Enchantment Barrier despite it came from the Grak Kingdom.

Taking the string off, Nuada unrolled the message to become surprised and a bit suspicious. It was an invitation to the Grak Kingdom by King Henryk!

To the Prince of the Daemon Evokers, Nuada

I'm sure you are trying to find a way to reclaim Brigid. There is no need for that.  
I decided to invite you to my kingdom. I want to discuss on Brigid's future in a civilize manner.  
However, with the Salt Enchantment Barrier around my kingdom, it is impossible for you  
to enter my home right now. Please come on April fourteenth. That should be enough time  
to get the barrier down. And don't think about summoning your dragon partner.  
I rather avoid more collateral damage to my kingdom. It also wouldn't leave a good impression  
on our daughter. Due remember the date for this is the only chance you'll get.

From,  
The King of the Grak Kingdom, King Henryk

After reading the message, it only build suspicion in Nuada's mind. Why would it take roughly two months to get the barrier down? What was the King planning? It has to be a trap, the Dragon Prince was sure of it. However, this could be the only chance for him to see her again after all this time and to reclaim her. If not, perhaps he can maybe convince the King to share custody with Brigid. So, on April 14th, he will come.

Writing a letter back, Nuada tied the rolled up reply around the messenger bird's neck before letting it fly back home.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the Snow Room, Mercy and Serafina were making something for Brigid. Using spell books and collecting the items required, they were getting prepared to make an ancient magical receptacle. With the right spell acquired and the necessary items, it was only the matter of creating it.

After setting another book on the stand, Serafina turned towards her younger sister, "Are you sure there isn't anything else?"

"Believe me, I only know as much as you do." Mercy insisted.

They don't know what will happen to their little sister. After Serafina was informed of what their master had claimed, much to the older sister's dismay, the sisters wasted no time. Of course, Mercy was taken for a short time for unknown reasons before returning with a worrisome expression. This was another precautionary action. With their magic, they plan to create the mystical sun jeweled box. Legend says that there were only seven true sun jeweled boxes and yet, they eventually disappeared from existence, becoming an old tale. It is unknown if there are seven individuals out there who are in possession of these boxes.

Somewhere in her mind, she felt that was the case. Sun jeweled boxes can come in handy. No matter how many items are stuffed inside, the box would always have infinite space to hold said items, whether it's big or small.

Still, there were magic scrolls and spells that can allow one to be constructed. There were requirements, however. Because the spell was complex and complicated, it requires two people with strong magic to create it. Hence why the sisters are in preparation. There were other requirements, but those can wait after the box has been created.

"Alright, let's do it." Serafina sighed as she stood opposite from where Mercy is.

Together, as Mercy started the spell, they poured all lot of magic into the creation of the box. According to legends, the sun jeweled box can only be given to someone of a pure heart. The sisters knew full well that Brigid has one and is therefore, worthy of the chest. After what felt like an hour, the box finally manifested.

Drained in magic and energy, the sisters collapsed on their knees, feeling extremely exhausted from successful creating the mystical box. Panting, Serafina tried to summon fire in her hand, but the flame flickered before extinguishing.

"It's no use. We've already used a lot of our magic in creating the box, Serafina." Mercy explained. "It will take a while for us to regain our powers again at full strength."

"I know." the older sister let out a long sigh. "So, what do we have to do next?"

"Well... The next part is easier." the younger sister assured, looking at the waterfall at the corner of her room.

After resting for no more than ten minutes, the Royal Guards begin the second step. There were many types of sun jeweled boxes - different shape, different decoration, different ways to use them - but for the sisters, they have to add it to their box that it became necessary. Splitting their materials, Serafina and Mercy parted ways to start on the second step individually.

It took nearly the entire afternoon to finish what they were making without using magic. That's right. Whatever they were making, it was done by hand. What was it they were making? Why, what it was were dolls that resemble themselves. The tiny rag dolls will act just like them, except their roles are similar to fairies in waiting. Not long until Mercy finished hers, Serafina came into her room to drop off her doll before leaving to watch over Brigid. Mercy was both glad and a bit sad. Alone in her room, she was only accompanied by the pestering voice of her master.

Over the years, she gotten used to her master's voice talking to her in her head as well as ignoring her completely. It would only be Meranda whom she was willing to listen to. With the two tiny dolls in her hands, Mercy enchanted them to life with a little magic. The tiny dolls might be inactive now, but by placing a piece of their consciousness inside the plaything, they should come to life once they, themselves, have "gone to sleep".

With that out of the way, Mercy thought back to what King Henryk had requested from her after his confrontation with the Royal Advisor earlier today.

 _She was aware of what had happened in the Arcane Lab. After waking up, Mercy took back control and was able to keep the memories she gained. Despite she was asleep at that time, through Meranda and partially through the Royal Advisor, she gained access to the memories and knowledge of the events that had occurred in that room, almost like an out of body experience. It helped fill in the blanks in her memories. It was after she regained control that King Henryk approached her._

 _"Mercy, I have a request."_

 _"What is it?"_

 _"Do you have a potion that can be used to get an item passed the barrier surrounding the kingdom?" he inquired._

 _"Why would you need it?" she pressed for answers._

 _"I need it to deliver a message." was his answer._

 _After that, Mercy gave him the potion she used to get her lotus flower out of the kingdom. As he obtained what he needs, the girl just watched worriedly before returning to her room where Serafina was waiting for her._

 _'I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but I don't think your plan will work. Master is just too cleaver.'_ she thought melancholy.

Frustrated and upset, the doll stood abruptly, moving the chair as it grinds with the snow. Tired, the Royal Guard moved away from her desk. Taking the tiny fairy dolls that resembles themselves, Mercy went to her little pool at the end of her large room. Taking off her shoes, the girl dipped her feet into the water. It was soothing to her. Placing the dolls on her lap, Mercy began to recite an incantation. These fairy dolls... If there comes a time when Brigid feels down, they will sing and dance in an attempt to cheer her up.

After all, they might not be able to be there for her in the future. So, these little dolls will have to take their place. They won't be just imbued with magic, but a piece of their consciousness. That way, at least these dolls will have some similar traits to her and Serafina. Finished with the spell, Mercy sent the dolls to where the tent will be.

Besides, she was in her little pool. Might as well retrieve it - the flutes that she once created. Taking the case out from behind the waterfall, the water doll opened it to find both the ice flute and the ice leaf inside. Soon... These musical instruments will belong to Brigid. Closing the box with a sigh, Mercy got out of the pool and put them inside the tent along with everything else.

 _'I need to sort out my needs and desires.'_ she thought.

She knew what they were, but it was hard deciding what she needed most. Her desire is to accomplish her mission... But her need is to understand human emotions better. Now, let's be clear, she doesn't want to help the Royal Advisor. And yet, at the same time, she sort of yearns for recognition from her master. It was such a pitiful situation to be in. She was like a little girl, begging for the attention of her mother, who refuses to look at her. That allegory is the best she could come up with to describe her situation.

"I can never be satisfied." Mercy lightly laughed at herself. "Like mother, like daughter. I guess the sins of that woman has finally caught up to me."

Walking over to her drawer, she pulled out the potion she made that was kept inside her music box. If things were to get out of control, then she would have to drink it. Would this be the right time? After a long time of thoughts and consideration, the doll shook her head before putting the vial away.

 _'I shouldn't waste it now...'_

After taking a small walk, Mercy decided to go to the Palace Library. It was there that the doll began to reflect on herself. Despite she made Brigid promise to destroy her one day no matter what the situation was, she started to become fearful. If she was being completely honest to herself, she would wanted to live. Oh, what a contradicting and conflicting girl she is. Doesn't know what she wants or what to do. She was afraid of dying because if she dies, she'll be all alone, right?

"Even though... Being alone is what's best for me..." she spoke sadly to herself. "To disappear from their lives is what's best for them."

It was the same with her desires. She wants to experience emotions, yet afraid of getting betrayed by them. And now, she wants to live, but at the same time, wants to die if she can't be with her love ones. Such conflict... Knowing too much, she can never return to those happy idyllic life she once had. All she could do is move forward and prepare. She can't stay indecisive forever. Eventually, a choice will have to be made.

Shaking her head, Mercy snapped out of her negative thoughts. This is not the time to be thinking such things, not yet anyway. Suddenly, the doll began to experience a violet fit of coughing. Her head started to hurt as she grabbed for a shelf to keep her from falling from the dizziness she felt.

 _'Why am I...?'_ she stopped mid thought.

Placing a hand on her chest, the doll can feel the emotional burden place onto her heart. If she continues with her melancholy thoughts from before, the strain might be too much for her. Hm, could her strange fever be the result of the emotional strain on her core? Is that the reason why?

Sighing to herself, the doll stayed like that for a moment before resuming to what she was doing - picking books to put inside the tent. There are some stories that Mercy personally feel that Brigid wound like to read. The Princess doesn't come to the library very often, so she would missed out on some fun storytelling.

After gathering what she needed, the water doll head out of the building.

* * *

Back to the Snow Room, just as Mercy was about to put the books inside the tent, she heard _her_ voice.

 _"Mercy, I need to talk to you."_

Without responding, the water doll stopped what she was doing and made her way up the stairs and to bed. Sighing as she lay down, she close her eyes as she dives to her subconscious. There, she met with Meranda again, who was stretching out her hand. Accepting that hand, Mercy found herself in a white box-shaped like room.

"Where are we?" she questioned.

"Somewhere where Master won't be able to disturb us. Here, we can have our conversation privately." Meranda explained.

"You said you needed to talk to me. What is it?"

"I'm sure you have realized, but because a fracture of Master's soul has resides within me... Through me, you have access to her memories and powers, though how limited they are."

"Yes. Those dreams... They're part of Master's foresight."

"When the green lion devours the sun, her revenge will be complete." Meranda recites.

"The green lion is made out of mercury and sulfur symbolizes the sun." Mercy slowly continues. "Serafina... Master's plans for revenge will happen if I..."

"That... Isn't all that I wished to talk to you." Meranda finally spoke.

"What?"

"I wanted to express my true feelings now that I have that chance." the splintered soul revealed. "Master keeps on claiming that I'm the better one, but she couldn't be more wrong."

"Where are you getting from this?"

"Sometimes, all those negative thoughts and feelings of mine just overflows. No matter how much I tried, eventually... My emotions will slowly show until I break down." the other half explained. "I don't like it when I break down. In fact, I really hate it. Especially when it's in front of someone, no matter who they are or what relationship I have with them... I feel vulnerable as I break down. It feels like I'm exposing my weakness - my vulnerabilities, for anyone and everyone to see and judge. That's why I tend to isolate myself in order to cry because no one could know of my weakness. I don't want anyone to see me hurting, my pain..."

Mercy was quiet since she was aware. Many times, she could never confide her feelings to her sisters. She just felt like it was meant for her to deal with herself.

 _'Just like me...'_ she thought sadly.

"Sometimes, these thoughts I have do more damage to me that I think it does. Whether it's because of the lack of maternal guidance or failing to meet with expectations and looked at disapprovingly, I would wished that I never existed - that I just... Disappear from everyone's lives. I feel like a burden that everyone wants to get rid of or not have to worry about."

"You don't really mean that..." Mercy tried to comfort her other half.

Meranda looked up at her, "You and I both know that you definitely don't want that - showing your weakness, I mean. Perhaps, by showing tears, you are hurting. I don't blame you, even I hate myself. Back then, when we were just one, you wouldn't want to show emotions. It wasn't because you didn't understand them. You didn't want to show any because it's like showing weakness."

"What do you mean...?"

"Don't play dumb. You have love from Serafina and Brigid, perhaps some affection from Master. You love your sisters and your love is expressed as loyalty for Master. But there is one person whom you don't love nor do you feel that they have the rights to deserve it... Yourself. Now that we are split into two, let's face the facts. You really hate me for being the weaker half of you."

Mercy was puzzled by this and looked away. She couldn't really deny it. Everything that Meranda had said was true. She didn't like to express her sorrows for anyone to see. Because it made her looked weak, she has grown to hate feeling sad. But... Since Meranda is the exact embodiment of that emotions, wouldn't that mean the she hates her other half? That she hates herself? Despite it is a bit convoluted and Mercy didn't admit it, it was true.

Turning to look at Meranda once more, Mercy inquired, "Since you are me, if you didn't contain Master's soul... What would you want?"

The fractured soul looked up and gazed at the distance as if looking for something. However, her eyes suggested that what she wants isn't obtainable.

She softly spoke, "I want many things. But amongst all that I desire, I simply wanted to be proven wrong. That my existence isn't a burden to anyone - that I could be looked at and be loved. I wanted to have hope."

Feeling pity for her other half, Mercy was about to reach out to her, "Maybe you could..."

However, Meranda stopped her just as Mercy was about to reach her hand, "Don't."

"What?"

"It's too late. Now that Master has attached herself to me, that desire of mine has become impossible. You shouldn't get close to me." she warned. "Once you get attracted to evil, you'll get tainted as well. And then the people will to call you... A witch like me."

Just before Mercy could utter a word, the box like room was beginning to crack. Ah, it seems that the fragment of the Royal Advisor's soul was interfering, breaking the room. A sad smile appeared on Meranda's face before she mutter a farewell as the room disappeared, allowing the invasive soul to once again cling onto her.

Waking up from her forced sleep, Mercy let out a frustrated sigh.

* * *

Finding Serafina at the Outer Wall, they had another talk. Earlier that day when Mercy told Serafina about what their master had told her, Serafina didn't took the news very well. Now, she came with a warning: don't get close to the Royal Advisor.

"Haven't I been doing exactly that?" Serafina somewhat asked harshly.

"I know..." Mercy spoke calmly, although there was a hint of guilt behind her tone.

The older guard let out a sigh, "I'm sorry, Mercy. I shouldn't snapped at you like that."

"No, it's fine." she insisted. "I was foolish in dedicating my loyalty to her. I deserve some reprehension."

"Tell you what. How about we have a fight?" Serafina suggested. "It might help us vent out all our frustrations."

"Sure."

At the Smelting Chamber, the sisters went to the armory to grabbed some weapons. Of course, they both took swords since it was Serafina's idea to have another sword fight. While the older sister took only one sword, Mercy took two. When questioned about duel wielding, the younger sister insisted that she wanted to test using both hands.

"You know, I didn't think you would follow me to get a pair of metal weapons." Serafina started. "I'd assume you'd just used your powers to make them like before."

Reminded of how Meranda created that ice sword, Mercy insisted, "I rather use the weapons here. I would like to avoid another... Accident."

"Right..."

Taking what they needed, the Royal Guards left the chamber for the Training Ground near the forest. Before their fight, they set down some rules. Since it was more like a fight to test their resources, using magic will be allowed. But how to decide the victor? Both sisters have a ribbon of their respective color tied around their left arm. Whoever managed to pull the ribbon away from their opponent is the victor.

"Don't hold back on me, Serafina."

"I won't."

"Good."

Taking their stances, both sisters' looks harden, waiting. Silence. Eventually, they both ran forward and clashed their swords as a metallic sound rang. Both side glared at the other. To get out of the block, Mercy used her other sword to strike one before twirling around to send another strike, forcing Serafina back. With her sister distracted, she went in for another strike. So far, Mercy has been doing the attacking while Serafina was doing all the blocking.

Using her magic, the older sister managed to get some distance after forcing her younger sister back. She charged, taking the girl by surprised as she quickly disarmed one of the swords. But before she could reached for the blue ribbon around Mercy's arm, the younger sister used her other sword to block, causing Serafina to retract her hand before striking the long blade with her own.

"Had enough yet, sis?" Serafina questioned.

Mercy scoffed, "As if!"

Glancing downwards, she step onto her older sister's foot before pushing her back.

"Ow! That's not really fair, Mercy!"

"Do you expect anyone to fight fair?" the guard questioned. "That's not how the world works. Besides, you never said we can't fight dirty."

The two paused for a moment, gathering energy before quickly resuming to their fight. Charging at each other, the sisters let out a battle cry before clashing their swords again. Neither relents as they stood their ground. Attempting to get Mercy's guard down, Serafina tried to pull the same trick done to her earlier. The water doll didn't fall for it easily, but that was the plan. With her sister busy on keeping her feet from getting stepped on, Serafina strike with her sword, forcing the girl back.

Mercy took a quick swing and duct, attempting to reach out for the red ribbon only to dodge Serafina's strike. To avoid getting hit, she did a back flip to get away from her opponent. The fiery girl charged at her, pushing many multiple swings as she blocked them all. After clashing their weapons yet again, both sisters were nearly out of breath.

"You put up a great effort, Mercy." Serafina complimented.

"You too." she replied with a determined look.

"But I guess now is the time for me to give it my all."

"I agree. Otherwise, we'd be at a stalemate."

In a short moment of retreat, the sisters jumped back, away from the other. Using her fire powers, Serafina imbued the blade with fire as she took her battle stance. Mercy was a bit amused as she was about to do the same. However, she frown as she felt a jolt of pain in her body.

 _'W-Why now? Why did I suddenly feel pain right now?'_

Noticing the look of hesitation in her sister's eyes, Serafina's determined look grew into confusion with a hint of concern.

"Are you okay, Mercy?"

"Yes, it was nothing." she insisted.

Once the younger Royal Guard charged, the fight was resumed. This time, Serafina stood her ground. She wasn't going to clash swords. Instead, performing a spell, the older guard swings her sword, sending a blast of fire towards her charging sister. Having enough time to react, Mercy jumped while spiraling forward, dodging the magic before dissolving her body into liquid. The trail of water continue to move forward as Serafina continued firing her magic. Once she got close, Mercy materialized, bringing her sword down. However, it was blocked by the fiery blade.

Having failed her attack, the younger guard retreated, using her powers over water to form mist around her older sister. Of course, Serafina counters by overheating the air, dissipating the mist. But by the time the mist got all cleared, her sister was gone. Confused, but on guard, the older sister kept a sharp look at her surrounding.

After taking a step, she heard a twig snapped. Quickly, Serafina turned around just in time to deflect a blast of ice that was heading her way. Having failed on that attack, Mercy revealed herself. Once more, they ran into each other, hoping to disarm their opponent's weapons. Just as Serafina was about to swing her weapon, her sword hand was caught by Mercy's free hand. In order to defend herself, she caught her younger sister's sword hand in retaliation. With both sides neither getting anywhere they were both forced to separate before engaging in close range again.

During the fight, Serafina began to notice that something was bothering Mercy based on how hard she was attacking. It was in her eyes too. She never seen her sister fought with so much passion before. And yet, there was this look of pain and frustration. It was like she cannot afford to lose, no matter what the cost.

Meanwhile, Mercy was being careful with her actions. So many things were on her mind at once, she felt like she was going to get distracted. However, she was trying too hard. Earlier in the fight, she was doing fine. She was actually enjoying herself. But after feeling that jolt of pain, that enjoyment and experience was gone now, replaced with bothersome emotions and memories.

She really doesn't understand herself and it was really frustrating to not even know oneself anymore! Who is she? Why is she here? What is her purpose in this world? Is she a doll? Was she once human? What was her past? What will happen in the future? Does she still envies Serafina? Is that why she grown to hate herself? She doesn't know! And it was very vexing!

"Mercy, is everything alright?"

"It's alright, stop worrying about me!" her tone came out cold and distant.

Suddenly, storm clouds started to gather causing it to rain. With the environment changing, it could give her an advantage. Charging forward, Mercy attacked. But with each hit, it was blocked by Serafina. Eventually, the older guard managed to disarmed her, but she was unable to reach the blue ribbon.

Just as Serafina was about to take another shot at her, Mercy grabbed her sword hand and push the arm down. With her other hand, Mercy got hold of the red ribbon. But because she was reckless and defenseless, it didn't stop Serafina from also getting a hold of her blue ribbon. Both pulled at the ribbon at the same time, causing a draw. But the fight was not over yet. If it were to end a tie, then the loser will have to be defeated by their opponent. How? By having a sword up to their face while they are on the ground.

Using her magic, Mercy sent a direct blast of water at her sister, causing distance between them. Even without a weapon to defend herself, she cannot lose. Now switching to only magic base attacks, she would fire at Serafina while she was in the air. Unfortunately for her older sister, she was too distracted at what was firing towards her in the front to notice small details. Tiny details such as Mercy planting tiny ice shards around her sister. Once everything was set, Mercy landed on the ground on her feet.

"It seems that you are at your limit, Mercy. You're disarmed and your magic didn't reach me."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that. Take another look." Mercy advised.

Taking her advice, Serafina look around her surroundings. Seeing the ice shards around her, she didn't have time to react when all the ice activated, causing icy chains to sprang out of them. The chains bind around the fire doll, forcing her to her knees. Picking up her sword, Mercy was making her way towards her sister.

 _'I cannot lose. I have to win.'_

Meanwhile, the Royal Advisor was in her room. In her hands was a little doll and a needle. With a smile on her face, she was playing around with the doll with the needle gently trailing against the fabric, barely even touching it. No more playtime. With the needle firmly in her hands, she stabbed the voodoo doll on its right foot.

From her years of experience, the witch knew one thing. If something tries to escape from you, the best way to stop them is to attack their legs. And that is what she has done. This is her way of showing power to those who are inferior to her. And let it be a reminder to those who think they can get away with scheming behind her back. If they think they can escape, think again.

Unfortunately, back to the Training Ground, just as she was reaching midway to her goal, Mercy finally overexerts herself and fallen to the ground. For a brief second, she thought she felt pain on her right foot. Because of her broken concentration, the icy chains melted away, freeing Serafina. Although the older guard got up, she didn't care about the fight anymore. She ran to Mercy's side as the girl slowly sat up.

"Hah... Hah..." she was breathing heavily, sweat was on her face.

"Mercy, you cannot be okay." her sister insisted as she tried lending a hand.

Slapping the hand away and denying any help, the fallen sister continued to hide her eyes by staring at the ground.

"You shouldn't make a big deal out of it. I... I-I just trip, that's all. Stop overreacting."

Her voice sounded strained and the tone sounded forced.

"Not a big deal? What's wrong with you?" Serafina became a little bit upset as she started to check her sister's temperature after noticing her irregular breathing. "Ah! You're overheating!"

"It's nothing to be worried about. I'm fine..."

"No, you're not fine. I'm not going to continue battling you now that I learn that you are harboring a fever." the older guard replied sternly. "I'm taking you back to your room. Give me your arm. I'll lend you my shoulder."

Letting out a defeated sigh, Mercy begrudgingly complies and allowed Serafina to help her get to her room. Once they finally reached their destination, the girl sort of coldly told her sister off, wishing to be left alone. Her request was met with no complaints. Sitting at the edge of her pool, Mercy wrapped her arms around her knee with the other submerged in the water.

 _'I'm weak, aren't I? What a joke. How can I really defy Master when I can't even prove myself today? I really hate myself.'_ she thought negatively.

Looking down at her hands, she realized that they were shaking, "I'm trembling..."

 _'Even though I accepted my fate, I'm afraid. I'm afraid of facing the inevitable. Everything...'_ she continued as she lowered her head.

Indeed, she was afraid of what the future the Royal Advisor has planned for her. Everything she wants would usually be undone by what she fears. Despite she accept her inevitable demise should the time come, she was afraid of dying. Even though she wants to save Brigid, she was afraid to do so by confronting her. She wants to make amends with her other self and make her soul whole again, but was afraid of confronting the Royal Advisor.

And it's because of that fear that makes her acknowledge the consequences of her actions - it has made her want to look only after herself. That is why she has become more selfish then she has intended. Yet, despite she has grown a selfish mindset, it did made her feel a hint of pride to herself. Humans are selfish beings. Could this be a sign that she is becoming more human despite it's not the way she wishes to go?

* * *

After some time, dusk started to settle in before the sky was tainted by darkness. In his room, King Henryk was going down memory lane. To be honest, remembering his time as a young boy was quite embarrassing, but also comforting at the same time.

 _Back when Henryk was just the Prince of the Grak Kingdom... On his sixteenth birthday, he stood next to his father, the King. It was a time when the former King declared that his son, Prince Henryk, will be the heir to the throne and the people's future King in the Old Throne Room. Everyone was cheering for him as he stared somewhat coldly at everyone. He didn't know how to react, honestly. When the declaration occurred, an after party for the heir started. Many teenagers around his age were dancing in the ballroom, but not him._

 _No, he was too socially awkward to ask anyone out for a dance. Especially when it was a girl. He would stutters and then it would all backfire. The girls would have lost interest in him. So, to spare the trouble of making a fool of himself, he didn't approach any of them. Walking to the windows, he stared dejectedly at the Royal Garden. Why the long face? Well, ever since he was young, he had heard that he has been betrothed to a Princess of a neighboring kingdom. He never met her, so he was worried if he'll liked her. It has been bothering his mind for a long time. As he continued to gaze outside, his eyes wander before his attention was caught. Out in the gardens was a girl with blonde hair, wearing a white and green dress._

 _She was picking flowers happily as if there wasn't a care for the world. Curious, the young Prince sneaked out of the after party and went to the garden. There, he saw the girl a few feet away from him. She was humming a melody so merrily as she continued to pick from the garden._

 _"Ahem." Prince Henryk cleared his voice._

 _"Oh, hello." the girl smiled warmly at him._

 _Her smile has taken the Prince aback. For a second, he was sure that his heart skipped a beat. She was even more beautiful than when he saw her at the window. With her carefree expression and beautiful green eyes..._

 _'Oh my, is this girl an angel?'_

 _"Um... What are you doing...?" he tried to start a conversation._

 _"Picking flowers obviously. Tell me, what is your favorite?" the girl asked._

 _Looking around the garden, a single flower came into mind._

 _"P-Pink roses..."_

 _"I see it!" the girl exclaimed as she ran over to the rose bush to pick the flower. Very happily, she pin the flower onto his vest before stepping back and admiring her work. "Oh, your face is red..."_

 _"Uh no, it's not!" the Prince denies as the girl giggled._

 _"Where are you from?"_

 _"I live here. From what land do you come from?"_

 _"Huh?"_

 _"You're dressed differently, so you can't be from the Grak Kingdom." he elaborated._

 _"Am I that easy to figure out?" she teased. "I'm from the neighboring kingdom."_

 _"I see... So why are you here?"_

 _"My father made me attend today's festivities. However, I don't really like going out to parties. They're not really for me." the girl explained. "So I sneaked out. I was going to walk around the kingdom until the party ends, but then I stumble upon this beautiful garden. The flowers here are so pretty, I just had to pick a few."_

 _"I don't think you're suppose to pick them..." Prince Henryk trailed off._

 _"Oh? Is that so..." the girl looked down, a bit disappointed._

 _"B-But since this is your first visiting, I don't think they would mind." he tried to assured._

 _"Really!?" she laughed. "Oh, thank goodness."_

 _As he smiled, a hint of blush appeared on his face. This girl was different from any other girl. She's very spirited and talking to her was a major improvement. Wanting to show the girl around since she did mentioned that she loves taking walks, Henryk was about to suggest the idea, but the bells began to rang. They signifies that the dancing is about to end._

 _'At this time?' he thought, a bit disappointingly._

 _"Ah! I have to get back to the ball before my father realize that I'm missing!" the girl panicked._

 _"Come with me. I know a shortcut."_

 _Without asking for permission and to help the girl so she doesn't get into trouble, Henryk grabbed her hand and ran back to the Grak Palace, taking the girl with him. They ran into the building, but instead of going down the hallway that leads to the Ballroom, the Grak Prince made a sharp turn and into a different room. There, he showed the girl a secret passage that leads to the Old Throne Room. Together, they traveled down the passage way and at the other end, wound up in the Ballroom._

 _"Thank you, um..." the girl paused, not knowing the boy's name._

 _"Henryk... Prince Henryk." he introduced._

 _"Thank you, Prince Henryk." the girl gave a small curtsy. "I'll see you later."_

 _"W-Wait!" he wanted to ask for her name..._

 _Oh well... Perhaps some other time. With nothing else to do, the Prince returned to his father. The Grak King noticed his son's sudden appearance and began to question where he was. The boy answered that he was merely helping someone out when they needed it, earning a praise from his father._

 _"That's good, my son. As future King..._ _ _Henryk, to be a good, wise ruler of the Grak Kingdom, you must put your people's needs before your own_." he advised. _

_"Yes, Father."_

 _Prince Henryk took his father's advice very seriously. He had always idolized his father and wishes to aspire like him. His father is a wonderful ruler and a good listener. If only he could be brave and have the courage that his father possess... Then, perhaps he wouldn't be so socially awkward around everyone. His father is the only person he felt comfortable in confiding his feelings to. Him and partly that girl too..._

 _Thinking back to that girl again, the Prince wondered who was he betrothed to. He thought back to his engagement to the Princess. He never seen her or know what her personality is like. That was worrisome. Although he believed in love at first sight, he didn't rebelled against his father when he learn of the news. His father is a wise man and it's for the better of the kingdom. Still, he wished he knew who his future bride will be._

 _"Ah, you're here!" his father exclaimed, breaking the Prince of his train of thoughts. "Welcome to my kingdom."_

 _"It's been an honor to meet you, King Krakus." the man replied. "I am King Kasper from the Evergreen Kingdom."_

 _"It is our pleasure to have you visiting the kingdom." Prince Henryk explained, giving a bow out of respect._

 _"This must be your son, Prince Henryk. An honor to meet you too." King Kasper answered. "Your Majesty, I believe it's time for us to discuss of the arrangement."_

 _"That's right. Son, this man will be your future father in law." the Grak King explained, earning a slow nod from the Prince. "If I am mistaken, but where is your daughter?"_

 _"Oh, she's coming. She is always a little late." King Kasper laugh lightly at the girl's antics._

 _"I'm sorry I'm late!" a voice cried out._

 _"There she is..." the girl's father remarked._

 _Hearing the voice, Henryk blinked. That voice, he knows that voice. Running up to them was the girl he met earlier! Out of breath, she clumsily gave a curtsy while lowering her head._

 _"Please forgive me for my rudeness." she replied._

 _"You don't have to worry about that, child. You're forgiven." King Krakus replied. "Well, son? Aren't you going to introduce yourself? It would be rude not to do so in front of your future bride."_

 _However, the Prince was shock and tongue-tied. This girl was going to be his wife in the future?_

 _"Hello, I am Princess Wanda. Please to meet-" looking up, Wanda paused having saw Henryk again for the second time. "It's you!"_

 _"Oh, you two met before?" her father asked._

 _"Yes..."_

 _However, words cannot reach the Prince's ears right now. He was in his little mind, trying to comprehend what was going on. Her name is Wanda. Wanda, what a beautiful name. Since that time, Henryk hoped to be a suitable husband for his future wife. At the same time, he aspire to be like his father. After the party has ended, the children were forced to separate. King Kasper had promised that Wanda will return on her 18th birthday so she can move in and learn about the Grak Kingdom's culture before her marriage to Henryk. That would be four years. He would have to wait for four years for her return._

 _Until then, he will learn hard to obtain what he desire. And so, his journey into becoming a good King and a wonderful husband has started..._

Alas, it didn't turn out very well like he had hoped, upon reflection. He couldn't be like his father nor was he probably a good husband. After those four years of preparation, losing himself in his studies defeated the purpose of growing out of his shell. As a result, when Princess Wanda returned, he was so struck in her beauty that he couldn't even properly talk with her. As for being a good father... That was up in the air. He rarely spend time with his daughter, always locking himself in his studies.

He regretted it. Everything. The only thing he doesn't regret is adopting Brigid. But everything after is what he regrets. Trusting the Royal Advisor, foolishly underestimating her. As for the sisters... He doesn't really regret their creation. Because of them, his daughter was happy while he wasn't around. Although, he regretted not making sure that the witch would tamper with their purpose. They were pitiful, really. And his daughter... How he regretted not spending enough time with her. She probably hates him or thinks that he is the worse parent of her life.

"Enough thinking like that." he muttered to himself.

He has to focus with what comes next. Thinking his of message to Nuada, there was a reason why he set a date for the meeting on April 14th. He needed time to prepare and gather the necessary requirements to make some explosives. Two months should suffice. And so, it was decided. By the end of March, his plan shall start.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the Snow Room, standing in the middle of her pool was Mercy. However, is it really Mercy? No. It was Meranda who was in control. Although, this time, it was different. Mercy had willingly allowed her other half to be in control right now. Her reasoning was because of the somber mindset she was in, so she wished to be alone. Hence why Meranda is now in control. Currently, the soul of the Royal Advisor wasn't active at the moment, so it was truly the embodiment of sadness inhabiting her dominant soul's body.

Placing a hand on her chest, Meranda thought melancholy.

"The usurped destiny that leads up to the messed up scenario..." she sadly remarked. "This body made out of mud has already been contaminated by sin."

 _'Very soon, it'll only be marred and stained even more because of her pride.'_

She knew ever since the Royal Advisor attached herself to her... That this body has only become an extended host for the Spirit of Pride. Despite Mercy has only become aware of it just now, she known since the very beginning.

 _Clang_

"Hm?" Meranda's attention was drawn to the chirping of the birds that Mercy had found earlier today.

After she and Serafina had gathered materials to create the beautiful sun jeweled box for their beloved sister, the pair of blue birds were kept in a cage to recuperate. Getting out of the pool, Meranda walked over to the cage, feeling the soft powdery snow under her feet. Looking over at the cage, she frowned, having understand why the blue bird was flapping her wings frantically and chirping. The younger sister has fallen from the swing and was unresponsive.

It couldn't possibly be dead, could it? Opening the cage, Meranda took out the younger bird to examine it. Feeling the soft blue feather, she tried to get the little creature to respond. However, none. What a shame. They were lovelier as pairs, but now there was only one left.

What could this all mean?

 _'Mercy?'_ she called out in her thoughts.

 _"Yes?"_

 _'Would it be fine if I stay in control for a little while? I would like to talk to Serafina.'_

 _"Sure."_

With Mercy's permission, Meranda slipped on her slippers before exiting the room. It was obvious where to find her older sister. At the Viewing Tower, there she was. Climbing over the ledge to sit on it, she was at first reluctant to start the conversation. Luckily, the older guard started it.

"Are you feeling better, Mercy?" Serafina asked.

"Yeah..."

Meranda decided not to correct her sister. For one, it would only bring confusion. Two, technically she is Mercy... Just not the Mercy she knew. Staring at the familiar starry sky, the smaller half felt nostalgia. But... It's a scenery that won't last long. Still... Remembering all those happy times, it did brought a small smile to her face.

Giggling, she wondered, "Do you think we've been spoiling Brigid?"

"Of course not. We never spoiled her." Serafina answered.

"Well, you seem to spoil her with that complex of yours." Meranda remarked.

"Watch it." the older sister warned.

Laughing lightly, Meranda looked on sadly as she recalled what Mercy had wanted to ask of Serafina, "Are you going to miss it? Living like this?"

"I wished it didn't have to end..." was her response.

"Me too, but it wouldn't have last regardless." Meranda sadly sighed. "We're merely dolls pretending to be humans."

"Just because we're pretending to be humans, doesn't mean the emotions we learned and felt are fake."

"I know, I'm just..." she sighed. "I'm just tired of it all. I don't want it to end."

Lightly leaning her head on Serafina's shoulders for comfort, Meranda closed her eyes to avoid having to shed tears. Only seeking darkness, she heard her sister's response.

"Yeah... So do I."

* * *

 **1) That little teaser in the beginning... I wonder what's that all about? Hehehe, not telling you guys :p**

 **2) I might as well tell you one thing. And since Eipix introduce the soul splitting concept in TMGLP, this is now perfect to explain the entire thing about Meranda. (I'm still surprised that they did that. I thought I'm the only one who think of these kind of things. Like this and dolls coming to life).**

 **Meranda is... An entity you could say. She is born out of Mercy's sorrow and hopelessness and the Royal Advisor's pride and wraith. However, I refer her as Mercy's "other half" because she once originates from Mercy before a fragment of the Royal Advisor's soul got to her, causing the split.  
**

 **Now, since Meranda is Mercy's other half, this means that the Royal Advisor has already possessed half of Mercy. Mercy, herself, has not been possessed. Usually, Meranda - under the Royal Advisor's influence - would take control. Though, possession of Mercy happens subconsciously, the witch never directly possess her bodily. It would only happen through Meranda.**

 **And since Eipix used the soul splitting concept, you guys already know that Amelia's soul was split into pure good and evil. It's the same with Mercy, except it's between normal Mercy and more depressed Mercy. Let's make it more convoluted and add a hint of evil into the sadness. That sadness isn't evil, but sometimes that evil overwhelms the sadness. That's why with Meranda, whenever she talks and act haughty, that is the Royal Advisor talking. Whenever Meranda express sadness, doubt, hopeless, that's literally Mercy's sorrow talking.**

 **3) The confrontation between Henryk and Cailleach. I had to make the King age faster because from the portraits, he looks to be in his mid fifties? I don't know much, but that seems like a good age to grow a long beard and have your hair greyed completely.**

 **4) The sun jewel box is a reference to the original story. Plus, I had wondered where Brigid would go if she was spending the night in the forest. It must take a lot of time to travel around without food. And I wonder, if one has a box that can store many items inside it, wouldn't it come in handy for an investigation case? Hm, I am curious if the Detective might have one of the seven true boxes. I mean, where does she keep the items she requires from picking it out from areas and FROGs? Plus, in this chapter, it is revealed that there were seven originals. What happen to those?**

 **5) Welcome to King Henryk's backstory of his first meeting of Wanda when they were children. Wasn't expecting that, didn't you? Krakus was the historical Princess Wanda's father, but because his name has Krak/Grak in it, I made him Henryk's father instead.**

 **6) I know that Wanda possibly met King Henryk when she went to the Grak Kingdom for their marriage, but nowhere in the game did it said that it was their first meeting. They could have met as children for a short period of time, grew up and reunited again. It would still work because I found a loophole!**

 **7) Pink rose symbolism - A classic symbol of grace and elegance, the pink rose is often given as a token of admiration and appreciation.**

 **8) I think this is the first chapter that Brigid doesn't appear it, minus for the first.**

 **Alright guys. Good news, by the time you've read this chapter, I've already uploaded chapter 14, the last chapter. So, I want you guys to do my a favor before you go on to read the final chapter.**

 **Please type one of these numbers after your review. If you want me to do anything related to TMGLP, type 1 in the review. If you want me to do my version of the MG story, type 2. I cannot do both at the same time.**


	14. Chapter 14

**I'll save the final say until the end. I feel that RotSP took around Spring or Summer, preferably in the Spring because it's the season of life. Plus, the Goddess Brigid is the Goddess of Spring. So, one hundred years ago, that special day will occur in springtime.**

 **Also, after reading this chapter, do me a favor and thank SapphirePanda at the DP wiki. He... "Wished" for a special scene to happen and I grant that wish. In other words, it would have never happened if he never suggested it. So make sure you thank him! Enjoy!**

 **Now... Let's finish this.**

* * *

Chapter 14: The Final Confrontation

Today is April 13th 1925, two months after Brigid's fourteenth birthday. In his throne, the King let out a sigh. He knew. This was going to be the day. The day where he'll have to banish his own daughter. Oh, how can it be possible? He thought that he'll protect his daughter until his death, but instead, he'll just have to let her go. As time passed, he grew old, but his daughter remained as young as ever. There was no doubt about it. That witch has planned for this to happen... And it was unavoidable. Even with his plans... Even if he manage to stop his enemies, there would always be a way for his plans to backfire. That is how fate works. No matter what he plans to do, the path that has been laid out is inevitable.

Regardless, he'll start his plan now. There was no use in delaying. Even if what he do will make no difference, at least it was out of love for his daughter. So, this afternoon, the King had summoned the Princess into his Throne Room where he asked her a simple question.

"Brigid, you how much I love you, right?" the King questioned.

"Of course, Father."

Nodding, Henryk continued, "Now, I want to know from you... How much you love me."

The girl tilted her head in confusion as she answered, "Father, may I have time to think of my answer?"

"Of course, but know that I expect an answer before the evening." King Henryk allowed.

His daughter gave him a curtsy before leaving the Throne Room. As she walks in the hallway, a thought came into her mind.

 _'Why is my father asking me this?'_ the Princess wondered. _'Of course, I love him. He is my father after all. How can I express my love for him?'_

Stopping for a moment, the girl decided to seek out her sisters for their help. If there was anyone whom she can seek advice from, it will be her sisters. After all, she loves them just as much. Finding Serafina practicing her sword fighting near the Edge of the Forest, Brigid approached her.

"Sera."

Looking behind her shoulders, the Royal Guard smiled as she place her sword down, "Brigid, what brings you here? Don't tell me you want to have another sword fight?"

The Salt Princess softly laughs as she shook her head, "No, not today, Sera."

"Then what?" Serafina questioned as she gestured her little sister to have a seat.

Sitting down on the bench with Serafina next to her, Brigid began to explain her dilemma. How her father want to know how much she loves him and that he expects an answer until dusk.

"What should I say?" Brigid wondered.

Serafina thought about it. She remembered when she once told Brigid that she loves her like fireworks a year ago. But perhaps what the King values is different from her. The Royal Guard remembered the time when the King gave Brigid her golden necklace. The girl treasured the necklace since childhood. Sadly, she never was able to find the piece of jewelry after the Princess has lost it, but she already had complete an identical one in her room. Perhaps the King love gold? After all, he did gave his daughter a golden necklace. If he loves his daughter very much that he gifted her with gold, then perhaps that is what he values.

"How about comparing him to gold?" suggested the guard. "It's very valuable, and you love the King just as much."

Brigid frowned on the answer, knowing that gold wasn't the answer. Regardless, she thanked Serafina for her answer before leaving to find Mercy. The second Royal Guard was at the Palace Library, reading a book until the girl came for her answer.

Looking up from her book, Mercy exclaimed happily, "Oh, Brigid. What brings you here? Is there a book you want to find?"

She was elated to see the Princess, but tried to not to expressed much pain as her heart gem started to react violently, beating heavily again.

The girl shook her head in response, "No, not today."

Brigid explained her problem exactly the same way she did with Serafina. After listening to the dilemma, Mercy thought carefully. She recalled the time when King Henryk kept a jewel with him. It seemed precious to him for he never left it out of his sight. If memory serves her correctly, there was a portrait of Brigid's mother who once had that jewel in her possession. Did the King kept that piece of jewelry to remind him of the woman he loved very much? If he loved Wanda very much that he kept her jewel, then perhaps that is what he values?

"How about comparing your love to jewels?" Mercy advised. "They are very precious, and you love the King just as much."

Again, Brigid frowned, not satisfied by this shallow answer. Nevertheless, she thanked Mercy before taking her leave. After some time to herself, Brigid perched herself against the fountain in the Royal Garden. Summoning a dragonfly, she stared at it as she pondered at the question. Recalling the time when she prank her father by taking away the salt from his dish, she smiled at the nostalgic memory. That time when her father would smile. It was the first time she saw him smile with great joy. Salt is the essence of life. Everything needs salt. Animals, plants, air, and water. Without salt, nothing would survive.

Coming up with her own answer, Brigid looked at the sky to see it was getting dark as the dragonfly disappeared. She has to get to the Throne Room. Reaching to the Courtyard, the Grak Princess eventually reunited with her guards.

"Brigid, you're here." Serafina sighed in relief.

"Am I late?" Brigid asked worriedly.

"No, you're just in time. Your father is waiting in the Throne Room." Mercy answered.

Taking their little sister over the bridge, the three stood outside the room.

Turning around, Brigid addressed to her sisters, "Thank you, for everything, Sera, Merce. I know you thought hard on your answers, but I have come with my own."

"We understand and support your decision." Mercy assured.

"Your answer is always right." Serafina remarked.

"It's not about having the right answer, Sera." Brigid insisted as she turned to face the door.

Standing outside the room, staring at the door, the girl took a deep breath. Although she knows her answer isn't based on accuracy, but the answer she came up with... Her love towards her father... She did felt a little nervous. Her sisters were right next to her, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulders. The Princess was grateful for that.

"You'll do fine, Brigid." Serafina smiled, giving her supports.

The girl gave a small smile and a nod before her sisters opened the door to the Throne Room. As she entered, the Princess saw her father sitting on his throne, waiting. The Royal Guards closed the door, waiting outside to give their little sister privacy with the King. Again, Brigid was grateful for her sisters, but without them, she once again felt nervous without their presence. Giving a curtsy, she slowly sighed before giving her answer.

"I love you like a daughter loves her father." she started out slowly.

"And...?" King Henryk urged.

"I love you as much as salt," the Princess told the King. "This Kingdom's wealth is built on salt. You are as precious to me as salt is to our Kingdom. More importantly, the power of salt has protected me since I was born, just as you have protected me."

This was her answer. An answer she had thought carefully. It was honest and true. Yet, after declaring her love to her father as salt, she lowered her face right away, embarrassed after having been paid attention to. King Henryk had a sad frown on his face.

 _'Please forgive me for this, Brigid.'_ Henryk thought somberly. _'I only hope for the best out of this.'_

The King stayed silent for a moment which puzzled the Princess. She was worried of his response until he finally spoke.

He replied, "Very well, let the power of salt protect you from now on. You are hereby banished from this Kingdom."

Distraught over her banishment, she couldn't stop a gasp from escaping her lips. The girl was shocked, placing a hand over her mouth in disbelief. Replaying the words in her head, Brigid shudder from the seemingly harsh words. She was confused and hurt. Pleading with the King, she wished to know the reason behind his decision.

"I don't understand." she whispered.

"Then let me make myself clear. You are forbidden from returning home unless I were to summon you." King Henryk added.

In a heartbreaking voice, Brigid pleaded tearfully, "Have I offended you, Father? If I did, I'm so sorry. Please..."

She wasn't mad at her father, just upset and overall, confused. The King tried to remain stoic, but it was hard to see his distressed daughter in front of him. It broke his heart to do this to her. However, it's out of a father's love that drove him to make this decision. He looked away, not wanting to see his daughter like this. The gesture upsets Brigid even more as she tries to muffled her cries with her hands, tears already streaming down her face.

"I've heard enough. Guards!" he called. The doors opened as Serafina and Mercy walked in, bowing in the presence of the King. They didn't know what happened, but they can't speak in the Throne Room either. "Take the Princess to her room. Make sure she packs whatever she needs."

Looking over to the Princess, the Royal Guards only found their sister crying. What happened in the Throne Room? Rushing over to Brigid, they tried to comfort her, but she didn't accept their help.

"No!" she cried, leaving the room in tears.

Alone, the King could only watched as the guards went after his daughter before letting out a grievous heavy sigh, "I'm very sorry, Brigid. Please forgive me for failing to be a good father."

* * *

In her room, Brigid was crying uncontrollably on a pillow. Normally, Serafina and Mercy would have knocked on the door and asked for permission to enter. But not this time. No... No more being guards. No need to asked for permission. They are her sisters and like sisters, they have no need to stand outside waiting for a response. Entering, they comforted her. Serafina place a hand on the weeping girl's shoulder before pulling her into an embrace. Looking over her older sister's shoulders, Brigid can see Mercy wiping away her tears.

"Come now, Brigid. Tears don't suit you well, especially when they're full of sorrow. What happened?" Mercy softly asked.

"Father was displeased of my answer. In response, he declared my banishment."

"What?!" both sisters exclaimed as Serafina pulled her away gently.

They were stunned. How could that happen? Brigid loves her father, so why did he decided to banish her? Needing some answers, the sisters returned to the Throne Room to confront the King themselves. They begged and asked for him to reconsider, but the King's answer stands without hesitation. Although he can see that the sisters love his daughter very much, it didn't change the fact that he is suspicious of them too. Hence why he denied their request.

"I won't talk about the matter anymore!" King Henryk yelled.

His tone silence the sisters. The King was tired. Already, he felt guilty for banishing his daughter, but he has to do this. For Brigid and the Royal Guards trying to change his mind would only make the regret more deeper. Finally, it was Mercy who spoke up since she had interacted with King Henryk on a few occasion.

"Your Majesty, can you please tell us why you intended to banish your own daughter?"

She asked in a serious and stern matter that the King can tell that it wasn't the Royal Advisor controlling her. Looking at the water doll, Henryk sighed. He agrees, but made the sisters promise not to reveal what he was about to tell them to Brigid. Both sisters promised. However, he only explain part of the reason behind the Princess' banishment.

"I banish Brigid because Nuada, the Prince of Daemon Evokers, will come for her." King Henryk explained. "Also, I've realized that keeping Brigid in the kingdom would only make her feel ill because of her curse."

Mercy thought about the second reason and it eventually came to her. She realized the real reason almost immediately. The Princess was growing ill because she is coming of the right age for the Salt Enchantment Ceremony. This "curse" of hers will probably keep Brigid from turning a day older after her fourteenth birthday. That was why she still looks young. As for the Daemon Evoker... From what Serafina had once told her and from some details she pulled from Meranda, Brigid is not related to King Henryk by blood. It's possible that the Dragon Prince came to take back his daughter. She snapped out of her thoughts as she returned to reality.

"...Shouldn't Mercy and I go with Princess Brigid? To accompany her during her time in exile?" Serafina asked.

"You two shall stay here. That's my last order." the King answered.

"But why? If Princess Brigid goes alone, we won't be able to protect her!" the older sister protested.

"I need you here... In case the Princess returns by my summoning." King Henryk stood from his throne. He took out a box and gave it to Serafina. She gave him a questioning look as he told her, "Open it."

The older Royal Guard opened the box to see the seven leaf clover. It has been embedded in crystal which is attached by a silver chain.

Picking up the charm, Serafina questioned, "What is this, Your Majesty?"

"A good luck charm. It has been with me for a very long time. But I'm returning it to Brigid. She'll need it to protect herself against the outside world." he replied. "Please make sure you give it to her. That is all."

"But-" just when Serafina was about to object, she stopped when Mercy raise her hand out for her silence.

"Serafina, enough already..." Mercy answered sternly. Hearing the seriousness of her tone, the older guard quietly complies, closing the box as Mercy assured, "We will."

They were about to leave, but the King stopped the younger Royal Guard, "Mercy. I'd like to have a word with you... Alone."

Looking at her older sister, she told her, "Go on without me. I'll see you soon."

Serafina nodded as she left the Throne Room. Alone with an audience with the King, Mercy turned to see Henryk waiting for her. Hesitantly, she walked with him until she felt the distant was safe enough for her to stop. There were some silence until King Henryk spoke.

"I will admit, I've never expected for any of this to happen." he sighed. "Never had I expect to banish my daughter. Nor did I expect that you and Serafina were taking orders from my most trusted advisor."

Mercy gasped, but her shock didn't last long. Quickly regaining her composure, a sad smile spread on her face. Although she didn't expect for the King to reveal his suspicion, she wasn't bothered by it. It was a bit of a shock that he doesn't try to hide it. Nonetheless, it was the truth after all.

"You're right. We've been deceiving you and Brigid right from the start. It was something that was inevitable." she softly replied. "You knew. That's why you refuse to allow us to accompany her through her exile. It's a punishment that I didn't expect. But... For what Serafina and I have done - for lying to you and to Brigid, I'm truly sorry for that."

"Do you know who you are? Not as a doll, but as yourself?" the King asked.

"I have an idea, but I would like to hear your opinion."

"For the time that I've spent with you, only one answer I have to describe you. You are a sinful girl, but you're also pitiful too."

"Perhaps that's how everyone who knew me view me as." Mercy agrees. "Indeed, I am sinful, but I don't believe I deserve others' pity."

"Still, for you to have a reaction to my response, I can see that you have a good heart."

"Is that so?" she wonders in curiosity and sadness as she place a hand over her chest.

"Choose between love and loyalty. Now that story sounds very familiar." King Henryk sighed. "Just like last time."

"I'm assuming that you're referring to her... Brigid's mother?"

"Yes. You and Serafina, despite not being human or my children, you're the embodiment of the situation she once had."

"Serafina chooses love while I'm stuck on my duties..."

Looking up, the King started to asked her a question, "Mercy, have you ever heard the story of The Crane and the Butterfly Sisters?"

"No."

The story began like this. Long time ago, there was a crane who lived a long, eternal life. However, on one snowy day, the crane got herself trapped in a hunter's net. Now there were two sisters out in the woods. They were once butterflies and have taken human form as young girls. Finding the entrapped bird, they freed the crane as she flew away. Later that night, the sisters encountered a young girl at their doorstep. She was trying to find shelter from the snowstorm. Seeing the desperate child, the sisters took her into their hospitality.

The girls formed a strong bond as if they were sisters. They would share many stories. The girl would talk about the many things she saw during her travels while the sisters talked about their little land. The child one day asked for a request from the sisters. To let her stay with them and always treat her as a part of their family. In exchange, perhaps one day, she can show the sisters the beauty of the world. Of course, they agreed.

In gratitude, every night, the girl would lock herself in her room, weaving beautiful clothes for her sisters. However, she would always tell them, "Please don't look, no matter what."

Unfortunately, the sisters were curious and took a peek. Instead of the little sister, they saw a crane. However, her wings lost most of her beautiful feathers. Returning to her human form, the girl confessed that she was the very crane that the sisters once saved. Now that they knew her secret, she couldn't stay. When the sisters asked when she will leave, she answered right now. When questioned on how long she will be gone, the girl didn't gave an answer. She doesn't know. Before turning back into a crane, the butterfly sisters gave her a deadline of one month to return. The crane promised and left.

After one month have passed, the crane regain her beautiful white feathers. Remembering her promise, the crane returned to the lonesome house on that small piece of land, hoping to surprise the sisters living inside. Upon reverting into a young woman, the girl went inside to surprisingly find no one.

"Sadly, when the girl searched the garden to find her sisters, she only found two dead butterflies. It came to the girl's realization the her beloved sisters have already died." King Henryk finished. "Despite the sisters were aware that they'll die at the end of the deadline, they still gave the crane a month to return."

Mercy only listened to the story in silence until she answered, "The crane lived many years, traveling around the world. The sisters' lives were short, but they were content. Even though they died, they were happy."

The King turned to face Mercy, walking up to her, "The sisters died in bliss, but what about the girl? The girl have treated the butterflies as her family, but when they died... Is it really fair that she should exchange a few years of happiness for hundreds of years of loneliness? Don't you think it's too cruel for the girl to have to go through so much suffering?"

She understood what the King was trying to say. He was freeing Brigid from the trap - from the Salt Enchantment Ceremony. She and Serafina were the butterflies. One day, Brigid might return. And because of her orders binding her to her master's wishes, Mercy would only harm the girl. Worse, it's possible that she'll eventually have to betray her when she does return. It won't only hurt Brigid, the one who is being betrayed, it will also hurt her and Serafina, the ones who betrayed. The one who betrays would only hurt more. Because they don't have a choice... And Brigid won't even know why. That was a feeling that Mercy doesn't want to experience. That ending would just be too sad.

 _'It's just like I thought. I wanted to experience emotions like them... But I'm afraid that the emotions will only hurt me, betray my heart.'_

"You don't have to worry, Your Majesty. I can't promise both butterflies not to spend time with the crane, but... As long as the younger sister doesn't grow attached to the girl, perhaps the ending won't be too depressing."

"Thank you, Mercy... For understanding. I know this must be hard on you and Serafina." King Henryk sincerely told her. Looking at her with an earnest expression, he inquired, "Despite I'm unable to forgive you and Serafina, I can't bring myself to hate you two. Because of this, Mercy, are you willing to do me a favor?"

"It depends if I can grant it."

"Don't worry. I'm sure you can." he assured. "Despite your true purpose, can I still trust you in protecting Brigid? She is all I have and I know deep down, you and Serafina don't really want to do what you're forced to do. I'm not ordering you as King, but humbly asking as a father who deeply loves his daughter."

"Yes." the doll answered firmly. "Even if the whole world is against me, hates me, and becomes my enemy, I promise I'll keep her safe."

The King gave her a sad look as he remarked, "Perhaps if things could have been done differently, maybe you, Serafina, and Brigid could have received a more happier ending."

The girl attempts for a smile, but she was clearly failing. Taking a few steps back, the Royal Guard finally turns around as she makes her way towards the exit. She knows how this story will end. To make the ending less tragic, it will have to end in bitter-sweetness. If she makes Brigid and Serafina hate her, then the pain of losing someone like her wouldn't be all that bad, right?

Leaning against the doors of the Throne Room, she can feel pain in her chest. It wasn't the usual pain. It felt more somber.

"It hurts." Mercy whispered. "It stings..."

Taking in a shaky breath, she knew what role she'll have to play. To ease the suffering between her and her sisters, she'll have to continue playing the role of a cold-hearted puppet. In a way, she sort of understand how her other self felt. The other her doesn't desire to feel emotions... That way, it wouldn't have hurt as much.

* * *

After some time, Mercy returns to her Snow Room with Serafina in tow. Together, the sisters decided to add more necessities to their sun jeweled box. Necessities such as fresh clothes, shoes, food, and others. All the things Brigid will need are stored inside the tent, which will be going inside the box. Serafina was in charge of setting up the things inside the tent while Mercy was searching for the correct spell. All of this was necessary for the Princess since it could take days before she can find a safe town or inn. After looking up on magic that can make things fit inside the box, Mercy enchanted the items that can go inside of the sun jeweled box.

The only way to summon the tent outside the box would be to play the ice flute. The older Royal Guard placed the tiny box containing the lucky charm inside the tent along with everything else. Once that was done and the tent was inside the chest, Serafina returned to her Fire Room. In her own secluded space, Serafina began to look back over her life. Despite she is the older sister, it felt like Brigid was the maturest out of all of them.

"It just wouldn't be the same without you, Bri." Serafina muttered as she looked at the bracelet the Princess once given to her on their birthday.

In her Snow Room, Mercy wasn't doing so well either. She was still conflicted over what she should do. Should she pretended that all her feelings was a lie? It wasn't hard for her to pretend that she didn't love her sisters. That way, Brigid won't hurt as much if she does die.

"Perhaps I do have to be the villain..." Mercy sadly concludes. "It would be easier for Brigid to fulfill her promise if I antagonize her."

She began to think of her answer back when she had told Brigid a few information. Her love for the Princess are like Sakura. And it looks like the flowers are beginning to wilt... Doesn't it?

Creating an ice leaf in her hands, Mercy put the leaf close to her lips and softly blows on it, playing a sad tune. She started to think over her past with Brigid. Indeed, she was like a crane. A crane who will have to leave very soon. The butterfly sisters can never know what beauty lies on the outside world - a world they knew so little of. They are trapped where they are, only told of the bad things of this world.

The girl became a bit teary eyed. She doesn't know how long they'll be separated or when they'll meet. She wasn't even sure if she'll see Brigid again as herself when that time comes. Quite possible she'll be a different person till then, regardless of what happens now. It was just... Unfair.

 _'Stupid tears...'_ she thought.

"Look at myself. I cannot be seen like this." the girl tried very hard to wipe away her tears.

But no matter how hard she tries, only more tears fall on her face.

"So you finally understand." her voice commented as Meranda materialize to confront her. "How I... We felt. Knowing this, do you still want to hold onto hope?"

"I don't know what to do." Mercy admits.

"That's understandable. However, you should just forget about your past and focus on the future. If you get rid of Princess Brigid and the world, there goes the source of your pain." Meranda explains.

"But I'd feel guilt." Mercy argues.

"Not me. We're not humans so we shouldn't have to feel regret." Meranda assured. "Come on. What do you value more? Master's approval or that girl's love?"

"I don't know!" the water doll was becoming frustrated.

"You heard what His Majesty said. To make this both painless for both of you, you have to stop playing human and accept who you are. A doll."

"But Serafina wouldn't want that."

"Then kill her. If she is such a hindrance to you, then kill her along with the Princess. You'll be free of them." Meranda replied. "The Princess did said that you have to be a little selfish, right? So, be selfish. Kill them so Master can be proud of us!"

At that remark, Mercy realized that it was her master projecting her ideas through Meranda's voice.

"I don't wish to talk to _you_. Please leave me alone."

"Fine, if you insist. But remember, you have till tomorrow to decide."

Meranda returned to Mercy as the water doll became even more conflicted on what to do. Should she choose her sisters for love? Or should she choose her master for recognition? Would it even matter? If she choose love, the Royal Advisor could just hijack her body through Meranda and go along with their purpose. Her choice wouldn't really affect the outcome at all.

"It's really hopeless for me after all." she muttered. Suddenly, a knock on the door startled her. "W-Who is it?"

"It's me, Mercy." Serafina's voice replied at the other end.

Hearing her older sister, Mercy started to panic, _'Don't tell me... Did she heard of my conversation with Meranda? What do I do if she found out?'_

"I know you're conflicted..." Serafina started.

Her body began to tremble. It was suppose to be a secret that only she knows. If Serafina found out... What would she be thinking of her? Is she going to distrust her now? Hate her? Associate her with their master?

 _'I was too careless... How much does Serafina know now?!'_

Mercy shut her eyes, her body became tense, waiting for her sister to reveal it.

"Because... I know that Brigid leaving must be hard on you. It's hard on both of us." Serafina finished.

 _'H-Huh..?'_

Opening her eyes and looking towards the door, the younger sister became confused, "What?"

"You were always trying to stay cool, but whenever you're alone, you would always let your emotions out, am I right?"

"How would you..."

"Come on, Mercy. I'm your older sister. It's my job to know how my sisters are feeling. Otherwise, I wouldn't be a good big sister."

At that, the girl giggled, "Well, you're doing a terrible job."

"A-At least I'm trying!" Serafina was flustered from the other side. "Quit making me admitting my mistakes! It's embarrassing..."

"I know." Mercy smiled warmly.

A sigh can be heard from the older guard, "So, how about it? Let's give Brigid the best send off tomorrow morning?"

"Yeah..." she agreed. "We'll make it the most memorable send off of her life."

"That's the spirit. Anyway... See you tomorrow morning, Mercy." Serafina replied a bit awkwardly.

"See you too, Serafina." Mercy giggled as she heard footsteps getting further away.

Well, guess it's time for bed, right? They have that send off in the morning to do and she does not plan to be late for it, no matter what the excuses are. But before that... Going over to the birdcage, Mercy took out the lonesome songbird into her hand. She chirped softly as the doll pet the bird softly on her head.

In a way, the small creature was almost like her. However, such a beautiful bird doesn't deserve to be locked up inside a cage. She deserves to be free.

 _'It's time for you to go home...'_ she thought.

"Bläue."

It was a bit sad. The little animal was like a dear friend of hers despite how short they spend time together. Mercy has given her the name "Bläue" because of her beautiful blue feathers. Alas, at some point in time, everyone or everything will eventually have to return whence they came.

Taking a tiny blue ribbon from her drawer, the girl tied the ribbon around the bird's left leg. If she could see the songbird in a different lifetime, that would be great, wouldn't it? Walking to a nearby balcony outside of her room, Mercy hold out her cupped hands as the blue bird was hesitant. Eventually, she spread her wings, flapped them, and flew into the sky.

 _'Goodbye, Bläue.'_

* * *

The next day, King Henryk watched as Brigid was leaving the palace from the balcony. He was sadden by her answer. Had she compared her love to him to something else, perhaps gold or jewels, he might have little difficulty or regrets in exiling her. He continued to watch his daughter as she was making her way to where the barrier was with sad, mournful eyes. Her figure slowly disappears once she gotten past the Town Plaza. Closing his eyes, the King thought back to his plans.

 _When the Royal Advisor was away, he had sabotage with the water circle in the Waterway. With one circle in disarray, it should be enough to let down the barrier. He won't let Brigid die because of his stupidity. With the barrier gone for a short time, he will need Nuada to arrive to the Grak Kingdom to trap him. No doubt the Royal Advisor will put the barrier back up, but by the time she does, it will be too late. Brigid would have already left and Nuada would be trapped. That was why he had to banished her and ordered that she leaves before dawn. He had to give an excuse to make her leave._

 _Of course, the dolls will have to stay. They are the Royal Advisor's creations... And since the witch will soon activate the barrier again, they won't be allowed to leave either. With the Salt Enchantment Barrier, it will be just him against four enemies. With the bombs he place throughout the palace, it shall collapse on all four of them in the Salt Mine._

Opening his eyes, Henryk sighed, "I'm sorry, Brigid. Just so you know. I do love you. I love you like salt."

 _"Henryk, to be a good, wise ruler of the Grak Kingdom, you must put your people's needs before your own."_

Recalling the words of his late father, King Henryk looked down in shame. He failed to follow his father's example. All of this could have been prevented if he choose to let go of Wanda. It could have been prevented if he hadn't made the stupid decision in trusting the Royal Advisor. However, all of this was his fault only. He was the one who trust the witch and dragged his kingdom to war. The only thing he can do to atone for his sins is to send his daughter into exile and taking down his enemies in one blow.

"All that I've done for you is like salt. I don't tell you that I love you. I show it. This... Is for the best. Salt dissolve in water. My love for you, though you can't see it, there will always be a trace of it... In here." the King place a hand on his chest. Looking up to the sky, he wondered, "Wanda, will you forgive me once I see you again?"

He could hear the sounds of wings flapping from behind and he knew. The sound of that creature. However, he could tell that it was being called back.

"Where is my daughter!?"

Taking a deep breath, Henryk turned around to see Nuada. He hardly changed at all, still look the same as the last time he saw him.

Trying to stay calm, the King responded, "Come with me."

Nuada look at the King with suspicion as he reluctantly follows. Unfortunately, because Nuada doesn't know the Grak Palace as well as Henryk, he had no idea where the man was leading him. As the two walked together, the King remarked that the Prince wasn't very hostile despite what had happened in the past. The Dragon Prince's response was that being hostile towards the man would have been pointless, especially now that his daughter look at him as her father. Getting closer to the Salt Mine, Nuada tried to compromise with the King.

"I want to talk about Brigid's future."

"Oh? And what would that be?" King Henryk questioned.

"I want Brigid to return home to Solwood for half a year and the other half can be with you in your kingdom." Nuada suggested.

The King chuckled at the suggestion, wishing that could have been the solution. It was very ideal. As they got deeper into the Salt Mine, Henryk finally spoke, dropping the bomb shell on the Daemon Evoker.

"I'm sorry, Nuada, but your suggestion is impossible." he turned to face the Dragon Prince. "I'm afraid you just passed her."

"What?!"

"She's leaving this kingdom and the barrier will soon be up again." Henryk explained. "I'm sorry."

"You... You intend to trap me here?!"

"Forgive me, Nuada. We may have been at each other's throats... But overtime, I had considered you as a friend for a while. Maybe if I had done everything different, we _could_ have been friends."

The Prince of the Daemon Evokers clan had a face of fury. Whether it was out of anger for being deceived or feeling mocked, Henryk didn't stay long to find out. As he escape the mines, tremors appeared as it trapped Nuada inside. Unable to follow the King of the Grak Kingdom, Nuada looked around frantically. He was searching for any possible escape routes. None.

More tremors appeared, suddenly trapping his legs and keeping him in place. With his movement hindered, Nuada became worried as the stalactites threatened to fall on top of him.

 _'Solais, I need your help.'_

With the tremors causing the rubble and shaking, the Dragon Prince subconsciously summoned Solais as the rocks started to fall. The dragon, having not been fully summoned consciously, wrapped his incorporeal scaly body around his Evoker as the falling stalactites cause dust to spread.

Returning to the Throne Room, King Henryk sat down on his throne. On the side of his throne were buttons, each were triggers for a different area of the Salt Mine. Of course, the bombs were on a timer. When Nuada had arrive, Henryk had pressed one of the buttons before leading the Dragon Prince into that section of the mine. Now, he will wait for the others to come before pressing the remaining buttons. There's no doubt in his mind that the sisters will return to the palace once they see Brigid off.

He wanted them to have one last memory before they all die.

* * *

Meanwhile, Brigid had finally reached the border of the Old Town. She isn't doing so well. Last night, she had cried herself to sleep. Even now, she is still crying. Simply making due in her gown and an ivy design green cloak, she didn't really packed much. Everything just felt like a lie. She still couldn't believe that this was happening. The sky was dark as storm clouds started to gather. Before she could take another step, however, someone called out to her.

"Wait, Brigid!"

She turned around to see her sisters. It was Mercy who had called out for her. They stopped at the edge of the Old Town, one step inside while the Princess was a step outside.

"At the very least, please take this." Serafina gave her a box.

"What is it?" Brigid sniffled, taking the box.

"Some food, so you don't starved... And other necessities." Mercy answered.

"It was Mercy's idea. This sun jeweled box is magic. It will appear when you need it and disappears when you don't need it. To summon the contents inside the box, simply play the flute." Serafina explained as Brigid took a peek inside.

"Thank you, Sera, Merce." Brigid whispered, closing the box. "But... Why don't you come with me?"

"We can't." Mercy replied sadly. "The King wants us to stay."

"We can't go with you." Serafina added. Taking out the gold necklace she has in her pockets, Serafina showed the jewelry to Brigid. "It may not be the same, but I'm sure it will remind you of us."

Touched, Brigid wrapped her arms around her older sister, squeezing her eyes shut. While in the embrace, Serafina clasped the necklace around the girl's neck before hugging her tightly.

Opening her eyes, the Salt Princess whispered, "You both have done so much for me, but I never repaid you for all that you've done."

"Nonsense. Don't be silly. Spending everyday with you was enough." Mercy assured as Serafina pulled away from the hug.

"Every single day, being with you and seeing your lovely smile... It was all that I could ever asked for." Serafina explained, her voice breaking.

Letting out a trembling sigh, the girl looked at her sisters, "I'm going to miss you two. Without you by my side, I feel like I'm going to get lost."

"We'll meet again someday. Until then, the things we packed will just have to take our places." the older sister replied.

Brigid gave Serafina another hug while Mercy had her back turned. Part of the reason was because she didn't want to see. She knew that if she turned around and look, the scene would only make her feel more sad. Her emotions would just betray her like she feared. It would expose the real her out in the open. Her real, yet weak side. The other reason was because she felt out of place. So it would be better if she doesn't interact.

"Merce?" Brigid called out.

But maybe... Just maybe... For this moment only... It's alright to feel sad and anguish, to reveal a little about her true side, right? Mercy turned around and hugged the little sister she grew to love so much. She doesn't need words to express her feelings. Her actions are just enough. Wrapping tightly and burying her face on the Princess' shoulders... This was enough for her. Quickly wiping away the tears, Mercy gently pulled away to give the girl one last gift. Taking out the blue jeweled tiara she worked on, she put in on Brigid's head.

What a wreak they were. All of them were crying. Just as Brigid was about to leave, the barrier was put back up. Turning around, she tried to reached her sisters at the last minute, but the barrier pushed her back. Sadly, neither Serafina or Mercy could do anything about it. They were now trapped inside the kingdom.

"You have to get out of here, Brigid." Serafina advised.

The girl shook her head as they place their hands where hers were on the barrier that separates them like a sheet of glass. They were right there, they were so close... But she can't touch them anymore. She can't reach them anymore either.

"Please don't say goodbye. I don't want this to end!" Brigid cried.

The sisters remained silent. The look on their faces suggest that it will probably be the end. No farewells, the sisters just shared a tearful predicament. Mercy knew that everything was just hopeless. It was hopeless to form a relationship since the beginning, no matter what kind of relationship it is. However, part of her really wants the ending to end differently. Maybe the crane can arrive in time to save the butterfly sisters. Even though it was probably a bad idea to reenact the story, she doesn't regret it.

Lowering her head, Mercy declared, "Then promise us that you'll come back one day. And maybe... You can save us from our sad end."

"Mm..." Brigid nodded slowly as she hesitantly take steps back.

She continued to back up further until she couldn't see her sisters any longer. Once they were mere specks, the Princess immediately turned and ran away. The air was cold that it matched the chill in her heart. She didn't get far until rain started to fall. It rained harder until she slipped on a puddle of mud and fell forward.

Dirt and mud got on her, but she didn't care if she was dirty. Where was she to go now?

* * *

Back to the Old Town, the sisters slowly make their way back to the palace. On their way, Serafina noticed that Mercy had a sad smile on her face... As if she expected something bad to happen.

"Mercy, why did you make Brigid promise to return?"

"It's better that way. Brigid will eventually have to return either way. If the butterfly sisters cannot be saved, then it's probably best if the crane believes what she saw. It will help her to continue living." she spoke with a forced emotionless tone.

Serafina remained silent. She doesn't understand what Mercy was trying to say, but didn't push for answers. For some reason, they had no need to follow the King's orders. Their loyalty belongs to the Royal Advisor. So why did they let Brigid go? Perhaps her banishment shocked them and they forgotten for a moment. Or perhaps... Part of them didn't want to follow their master. That was the vibe Serafina was getting from Mercy. The two of them just stayed quiet until they finally returned to the palace. Oddly enough, there was a note on the front of their doors from King Henryk instructing them to go to the Salt Mine.

Before she went to the mines, Mercy took one last look of her room. It might be the last time she'll ever see it. Winding the music box, she left it on top of her desk before leaving to join her older sister.

"What do you think this is about?" Serafina asked as they headed towards the excavation.

However, Mercy remain quiet, not answering any questions and pressing onward. As she did, she can feel a bit of herself interacting with Meranda.

 _"Are you sure about this? Is this what you want?"_ the manifestation of her hurt questioned.

 _'What other choices I have? I have none.'_

 _"Are you willing to listen to Master? At the cost of your happiness? Are you really okay with this?"_ Meranda insisted. _"Brigid was right. You need to be a little selfish sometimes, not for Master, but for yourself."_

 _'Go away. There isn't anything I can do.'_ she paused. _'Anyway, I thought you wanted this.'_

 _'Maybe I wanted to be wrong. Maybe... I wanted you to show me that I was wrong - that we don't have to follow orders, that we can choose our own fates. That the love we felt wasn't from a meaningless relationship...'_

At that point, she can sense Meranda returning to her subconscious. Letting out a sigh, the water doll was aware of the role she has to play. Everything was so against her since the very beginning. She's just a woman who wanted to find hope. Still used in the game as a pawn, she's nothing more than a decorative doll who's forced to smile on. It's as if her psyche was broken a long time ago. And now... She just wants to destroy everything, all of it. The foundations that built her life. They were nothing, but a reminder of pain.

Immediately, Mercy frowned at the thoughts. Was she being... Irrational, just now? Shaking her head, she pressed onward. As the sisters made it to the entrance on the mine, Serafina put a hand on the younger guard's shoulder.

"Hey, Mercy. Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Why did you ask?"

"It's just... I feel that Brigid's departure is affecting you as much as it's for me." the older Royal Guard admits.

Mercy bit her lips and turned away. Again, she didn't respond to Serafina as the sisters went down into the mines. After some point, Mercy stops. For a slit second, she thought she saw a blue butterfly. A curious creature, one that symbolizes change. The sudden hesitance prompted her older sister to stop too.

Turning around with her last false smile, she advised, "Go ahead, Serafina."

"What?"

"There's something I have to do first. So go ahead of me."

"O-Okay, but do you need any help with whatever you have to do?"

"No. That wouldn't be necessary." Mercy assured. "I'll come back once I'm finish with what I have to do."

"If you say so..." Serafina trailed off hesitantly.

Once Serafina walked ahead of her, the water doll waited until her older sister disappears before she dropped her smile. With sorrowful eyes mixed with a dark, cold look, the mercury servant travel to the deeper parts of the mine. Carefully, the doll made sure to be quiet, often glancing around her shoulders for Serafina. She wasn't going to involve her older sister in what she planned to do.

After some time, Mercy eventually found her. The woman who is her creator. The Royal Advisor, Cailleach. The crone was standing still as if waiting for her to arrive.

"Ah, so you finally arrive, Mercy." the Royal Advisor smiled. "I assume you want to request something from me?"

"Am I that predictable?" the mercury servant questioned.

"Perhaps. A mother always know her daughter." the witch insisted. "Now tell me what you want."

"I want to live a normal life with Brigid and Serafina. I'm tired of the secrecy and I want to live like a human." Mercy explained.

With a nod, Cailleach replied, "That's understandable. There is a reason why you and that... Girl are special. In both your core, are imbued with the souls of someone."

"My heart gem? And Serafina's?" Mercy wondered, placing a hand over her chest.

"Yes. When I found your hearts, they were already imbued with two souls. In a way, your existence right now is like a reincarnation of someone from the past. Possibly from a different world." the witch answered."I believe after living in a new body, you've forgotten your past life since that is how reincarnation works."

The water doll felt stunned. That would explain why she would remember vague memories. Whatever her past was, the soul she has in her doll-like body is real.

"There is one thing that has been bothering my mind. You claimed that you've taken my ability to love. Is that a lie?"

"Your love was never erased because of the functioning of your heart. That part, I will admit, was a lie. I simply place a curse to restrict that love and if I see fit, wipe away the memories related to love."

Once more, Mercy was surprised, but at the same time, not. She already knew this after discovering it herself and later when Meranda confessed of their master's lies. It still comes to a shock when hearing it straight from the mastermind, herself.

"Why? How could you..."

"You can't love someone if you don't remember them or recall the significance events that leads to the foundation to the emotion."

"Why?! Why do you want to perform the ceremony on Brigid?" Mercy demands. "What is the purpose?!"

"You know what the ceremony does, do you really want to know why?" Cailleach asked. She waited until Mercy nodded before continuing, "The world was cruel to me. I've receive nothing, but scorn from both humans and Daemon Evokers."

"All of this... Just for revenge?" the water doll wonder. "Then why involve Brigid? She's done nothing to you."

"She is the Daemon Evokers clan's Princess. She is related to the Daemon King who've exiled me." the Royal Advisor answered with ease. "Let's make a deal, Mercy. Once the ceremony is over, come search for me. You don't need the love of your sisters. You only need my love, isn't that right? You've sought for my attention for the longest of time. I can give you what you want."

Mercy just stared at the Royal Advisor in disbelief.

"For a long time, I never considered what I want. I don't even know the real me. For so long, dedicating my services to you, I've painted over the canvas for so long, trying to see the me I was conveying. It was all unnecessary in the end. If I wipe the paint off, I'll see the real me buried under."

"You can still see the real you. Once all of this is over, I can show you your past. You'll then know who you are." the witch extends her hand for the deal.

Mercy lowered her head to stare at the extended hand. Looking at it, she eventually slap the hand away.

"No." she denies. "You're trying to taint me just like the world has tainted you... But I'm not you. I don't wish for misery of others nor do I want to take revenge. I'm me, not you."

"That... Is your answer?" the Royal Advisor question, feeling disappointment.

"Regardless of what I know or my opinion, my decision was final ever since you choose to distrust me." Mercy spoke with a calm expression. "I was scared to face my problems... Until now."

"How dare you... You insolent girl!"

"You've done more harm than good. I can pity you... But I'll never forgive you." Mercy coldly argues. "I'm going to leave with Serafina and Brigid. Together, we'll live a peaceful life until Brigid dies after living a long, happy life. I'll reunite with her... But not with you intervening."

Closing her eyes, the mercury servant turned to walk away. She has to go get Serafina and find a way to leave the palace. The Royal Advisor just stared in disbelief before fury appeared on her face. The old woman's body was shaking with rage. Even her own creation turn against her? Even the doll who was made to be like her choose not to side with her? Absolutely absurd!

"You... You dare turn your back against me?" Cailleach shrieked. "Unforgivable!"

She sent a blast of magic at Mercy, but the doll had already suspect that this was going to happen. So her body dispersed into water, materializing behind her master. This time, she won't hesitant any longer. She won't just wait for Brigid to return.

 _'If I can solve my own problems... If I can accomplish it on my own, then I can look at myself with pride and go see you again.'_

With that thought it mind, she took the initiative. Her palm glowed as she was about to thrust her hand at the Royal Advisor. However, her master easily dodged it. Realizing her mistake, Mercy quickly used the moisture in the air to form mist around them before making sure there is distance between the two of them.

Just as the mist dissipates, Mercy summoned tiny ice knives before throwing them at her former master. But every attack never reached the old woman.

 _'I'm too far. She has time to react to my attacks.'_ she realized. _'If that's the case... I'll have to get close!'_

At the end of her attack, the doll charged forward.

* * *

At the Throne Room, King Henryk sat on his throne. By now, the Royal Guards must have found his note on their door and had went down to the mines. He revealed a hidden button that connects to all the explosives. After all, why go through all the buttons individually? That would just be a waste of time. This one button, of course, once pressed, will set all the bombs... But not immediately. All the explosive will blow after ten minutes. Before he could press the button, however, he want to have a moment of peace to himself. Closing his eyes, the Grak King felt an easing feeling crossing his mind.

 _Ten years ago, when his precious daughter was only four years ago. When she had given him a lucky clover. Seven leaves. Hope, faith, love, luck, wealth, fame, and longevity.  
_

 _"Ever since you saved me from the bad people, I want to give you this to express my gratitude. I want the charm to protect you, not just as your duties as King, but my father as well." her smile was so bright and innocent._

 _There was a time that the Salt Princess played a harmless prank on him. It was three years ago that Brigid took away the salt from his food. He remembered eating the dishes that lack the one thing that made it taste good. Salt.  
_

 _"Sorry, Father." she apologized as he laughed at the prank._

 _"I assumed that you knew that today is April Fool's Day. It's alright, sweetheart, but I would appreciate it if you put the salt back into my dish."_

 _When she sprinkled his food by summoning a salt dragonfly before giving him a hug, "I love you."_

 _"I love you too, Brigid."_

 _Of course, how could he forget about Father's Day? She wanted to spend time with him, but he couldn't. That's when she left him a gift in front of his door. It was really a pity that he didn't spend a lot of time with her. As a father, he really failed her. Nonetheless, he was grateful to spend any time with her at all, no matter how short it was._

Very soon, memories of his daughter shifted over to Wanda. He still remembered her. That same bright green eyes, blonde hair, her warm smile... Back to reality, Henryk opened his eyes to stare at the beyond. He continued like that for a while that it felt like eternity.

 _'Wanda, will I really be forgiven once this is all over?'_ he wondered.

For a brief moment, he thought he saw her. She was there, arms reached out for him. Her ethereal form was radiating despite her transparency. She was smiling at him, not a hint of anger or eyes with the look of betrayal on her face. Letting out a heavy sigh, the King smiled with tears rolling from his eyes.

"Thank goodness..." he softly muttered as he closed his eyelids.

With a peaceful look on his face, his finger felt for the button before pushing it, pulling the trigger and activating all the bombs.

* * *

Regrettably for Mercy, things didn't go as planned. Just then, the Royal Advisor had used her dark magic to capture Mercy before throwing her like a rag doll against a pillar. Feeling the impact, the Royal Guard couldn't help, but let out a painful cry escape from her lips before collapsing afterwards. She knew that she can heal her injuries, but the pain still lingers around her aching body. Desperately trying to find the strength in herself, the doll struggled to get up. Out of breath from this dragging battle, she pants as she grasped for anything to help support her.

 _'This isn't good.'_ she thought as she grimace in pain.

Her hair was falling over her face, some strands came loose and free. Dirt and grime were on her face and clothes. Even as she stands, it was far less than the graceful, elegant composure that she usually conducts herself in. Just when she finally stood, she barely had the time to react as a blast was heading towards her way. She staggers backwards, just barely missing it and nearly tripped herself.

Using her powers, Mercy made her body looked as transparent as water. She can't battle her master with these injuries. Hiding behind a different pillar while levitating, Mercy began to heal herself, needing time to recover. However, with all the damage she has sustained from the battle, the healing process wasn't going faster enough. Of course, this was to be expected. Having used a lot of her powers in creating the sun jeweled box two months ago, her magic hasn't reached maximum capacity yet.

"It's useless to fight against me, Mercy! Your powers were originally mine, I'm sure you are aware of that." Cailleach spoke, hoping to lure her creation out.

 _'Even if that's true, I'm still going to fight! I want to see Brigid again!'_ Mercy thought.

"Why even try? It's easier to hate someone than love them. It's much easier to be hated than to be loved, isn't that right, Mercy?" her master taunts.

 _'Even so, I don't mind if I am hated, so long as I can keep the memories of those I love.'_

"You can't defeat me, Mercy. Let alone deal with the finishing blow!" Cailleach warned as she saw a hint of blue. With a smile, she attacked, forcing Mercy to reveal herself as she attempts to get away. "You can't hide forever!"

 _'Tch!'_ Mercy bit the bottom of her lips. _'Darn, I haven't made a full recovery yet.'_

She peered from behind her hiding spot to see her master. For a brief second, it was almost like the Royal Advisor can see past her transparency. She can't afford to delay any longer. She'll just have to make it quick. In a reckless attempt to end this, Mercy stealthily got close to her master before sending a blast of water against the Royal Advisor. It did little damage since water was more of a passive element than fire.

Cailleach had a smile on her face as she pushed Mercy back without any physical contact. Luckily, the Royal Guard did a back flip before landing on her feet. Despite she got pushed back, she managed to stand her ground. However, she grimace, having sprain her ankle from the landing.

"You and _her_ , both of you have that same look in your eyes. That strong look of unwavering individuality." the witch muttered. "I hate that look and I want to destroy it."

Out of anger, the Royal Advisor sent a wave of attack at her creation. Unable to move as fast as she could because of her ankle, Mercy didn't dodge from the attack in time as she got thrown across the mine, rolling on the jagged rocks until her body slides to a stop. Dust flew into the air as she struggled to get up from her aching body.

"Oh..." the doll groaned, coughing from the dust in the air.

Unfortunately, she couldn't even move. Her body was tired and full of pain. And because of the dust, it was hard to focus her vision. She could only lay there as Cailleach approached her easily. It wasn't long before her master was now standing before her.

The Royal Advisor knelt down, "It must be because you're not actually me, no matter how much I tried to make your thought patterns the same as mine, or you found something that I cannot. You were accepted and loved, unlike me. You and _her_ are my opposite."

The witch was now placing her hand on Mercy's hand. At the contact, the girl became alarmed. This was just like how her dreams went!

 _'No! Don't erase my memories!'_ she panicked.

The old woman smiled as if she have read her thoughts. There was only one thing to do now. Completely erase those bothersome memories, destroy the soul, and reduce the girl into a mindless puppet. With a vessel devoid of a soul or a will, it would allow her to easily gain a new body. However, before the Royal Advisor could even begin the process, she was forced to move away from Mercy because a fireball was being blast towards her way.

A few steps back, the witch scowled as Serafina rushed to Mercy's side. The older Royal Guard didn't have time to tend to her younger sister as she turned to glare at her master. In rage, she started attacking the Royal Advisor, sending many blast of fire from her hand. However, she was acting very impulsively, therefore, her attacks were predictable.

No words were exchanged, just blasts of magic fired from both sides. While the Royal Advisor was distracted with Serafina, Mercy managed to find the energy to sit up. A bit light-headed, she watched as Serafina was clearly failing at landing a hit on their master. It wasn't long until her older sister has fallen, thrown back against the ground.

"Serafina!" Mercy crawled to her sister's side.

"Now that you are aware of my power, you shouldn't try to deny your purpose. Join me!"

"Never!" Serafina flat out refuses as Mercy helped her sister to her feet.

Looking extremely disappointed, the witch only responded, "Fine, suit yourself."

Suddenly, the Royal Advisor summoned her Daemon. It was a horrid monster. For so long, the Royal Advisor's soul has been corrupted by black magic, greatly affecting her soul animal. It looked like a mutated frog, as if the frog was stretched to a size that is taller than a normal human. The cone teeth above the jawline is longer and sharper, appearing like fangs. The webbed feet looked like human hands with webs in between. Its croak sounded so creepy and less of a normal frog.

The creature immediately leaped forward, tackling Serafina into a pillar.

"Argh!"

"Serafina! Are you okay!?"

More structures started to fall, it was a complete miracle that the mines haven't collapsed yet. From the rubble, the older sister tried to get up, but with each time, the monstrous Daemon continue to attack brutally. Mercy watched as she tried to analyzed the creature's movements and attack patterns. After Serafina got tackled for the third time, she barely had the chance to get up before being tossed again.

 _'She's already at her limit. If she continues to fight like this and get beaten down, then...'_ Mercy looked at the Daemon. _'I'll have to distract it away for her, somehow...'_

Luckily, she has read books about frogs. They have excellent night vision and are sensitive to movement. She'll have to get to Serafina and take her out of the battle ground.

 _'Besides, this battle is between me and Master, not Serafina's.'_

"Hey!" she yelled to get its attention.

The monster screeched and turned towards the sound. Immediately, Mercy remain as still as she can. The Daemon was heading turned her way, but suddenly turns away, having detect movement elsewhere.

 _'Darn it, Serafina. Stop moving!'_

Mercy looked around her surroundings before hiding behind a nearby pillar. Luckily for her, the pillars will help her get closer to Serafina. As she got closer, Mercy became cautious. Taking a glance of the monster, she immediately looked away, hiding her head behind the pillar when the corrupt Daemon turned towards her way. Having nearly flinched, she tried to stay as calm as possible.

She didn't want to look at the creature in its eyes. She didn't even have to look to know that it was coming closer. The sound of its steps and croak sound was assuring enough. The monstrous Daemon was now getting closer, inching towards her face. Trying to keep her rigid breathing quiet, it only quickens, enticed by fear. From the corner of her eyes, Mercy can see how close the monster was. The Royal Advisor's frog was now right next to her!

Unable to look at it, Mercy closed her eyes, staying as rigid as ever. Slowly, she turned her face the other way and bit her lips. The Daemon turned its face slightly towards her way, having believed that it saw a hint of movement. Mercy tried to stay calm despite her heart was racing fast. She could hear the monster opening its mouth and sensed its long tongue brushing against her cheeks. The touch of the long, wet flesh made her feel tense. She never felt this terrified before.

Hearing that it was leaving, Mercy let out a sigh, looking over just to make sure. Checking one more time to make sure that it was away from her, Mercy turned herself into water to get to Serafina faster. Only fire can weaken this Daemon since water has no effect.

Gently shaking her, the water doll whispered urgently, "Serafina! Get up, Serafina!"

"What...?"

"Hurry!"

Very soon, Serafina stirs and just as the frog was leaping towards them, with Mercy's healing water powers, the fire doll had enough strength to fire her magic at it. The Daemon screeched at the intense heat as it disappeared.

"Argh!" Cailleach growled as she felt weakened.

With her soul animal severely injured, she can't re-summoned it. Not only that, but the pain her Daemon felt just got transferred to her. How bothersome. Glaring at Serafina with murderous eyes, the Royal Advisor sent a blast at her, but was intercepted by Mercy.

"You've lost, Master. Please, give up on your lust for revenge. It isn't worth it." Mercy tried to compromise as she helped Serafina to her feet.

"NEVER!" she yelled. She was about to attack again, but tremors suddenly appeared. "What?! That fool of a King! He set a trap!"

Seeing that the sisters were distracted - trying to maintain balance from all the shaking - the Royal Advisor send a blast towards their way. Serafina got knocked out again, having not fully recovered, and Mercy was a few feet away from her.

"Ooh..." the sisters groaned.

As the tremors continued, the Royal Advisor turned a look at the water doll.

"I've kept my words. The next you wake and revived from the brink of death, you won't have anymore traces of love or remember this current event." she spitefully warned."After this, you'll be reborn into the creation that I wanted. Still... Let me leave you and your sister a curse as a parting gift."

"Another... Curse?" Mercy feared.

"My one last gift, from mother to daughter. Since the both of you wished to be more human... Well, if it turns out that the ceremony does fail and you die... Should you reincarnate in your next lives, know that you'll become what you couldn't be in your previous life."

"AHH!" she shrieked in pain.

With the curse set, Mercy can feel a sheering pain in her chest as her heart gem glowed. Even Serafina's heart of sulfur radiate light before dimming. However, this curse was merely a threat. It was a backup plan and Mercy knew why. If her master is unable to possess her and perform the Salt Enchantment Ceremony, then at the very least, she will try to make them suffer. As for that this curse will do...

 _'This curse... Does that mean...?'_

Rubble and debris started to fall as the Grak Palace shook. Taking one last look of her surroundings, the witch finally turned her sight back at her creation.

"You've put up a good fight, Mercy. But I'm afraid the student will never surpass the master." with that remark, she blast Mercy to a nearby pillar. The doll was too tired to even resist. As the palace was collapsing, the Royal Advisor gave out last words before teleporting away, "From now on, I won't be returning here again. Continue on with your mission and do not fail me."

Before she could even think about what her master had said, Mercy felt herself being pulled into her subconscious. She knew. This wasn't the battle. The real battle... Is a battle in her heart. It's a battle for control.

* * *

Back to her subconscious, Mercy felt herself in a void. Standing at the center was Meranda. However, it wasn't her. From the look in her eyes, it was her master possessing her other half. Once she landed, Mercy quickly was about to attack, but that backfired when Meranda took the initiative.

"Ah!"

Ice was forming around her neck as she was losing oxygen. The dominant soul was having trouble breathing as she struggled against her inner demon. Meranda, on the other hand, was enjoying it. Let the girl suffer. However, she won't kill her.

"It's painful isn't it?" she taunts sadistically. "Then suffer some more. Although you can't really kill souls, they can still feel pain."

"Hah..." Mercy breath heavily, coughing when she felt the tension of the ice around her neck loosening.

Her other self knelt in front of her, staring down at her with a bored expression, "Ahh... Look at you right now. On your knees. How pitiful."

"Tch."

Mercy didn't respond back, only having enough strength to glare at her master. She could care less if she was being mocked. What really ticks her off is that the witch is using her other self to do the taunting.

"I initially planed to destroy you. You, the weaker version of me, but I think I change my mind." Meranda had a sly smile on her face. "Instead of corrupting you or destroying you, I'll instead force you to watch from the sidelines. You shall become a prisoner of your own body! Forced to watch through your own eyes and hear from your own ears as I get the Princess to return."

"No!" Mercy struggled.

"Once she returns, the first thing I'll do is get rid of Serafina's insignificant speak of a light... But not before I erase her memories before the collapse of this palace." Meranda continues. "I'm a fair person. I shall give her one last chance to prove to me that she isn't the failure she truly is."

"It won't work. I won't let her forget. Even if you do erase her memories, her love for a peaceful life with me and Brigid will overcome your manipulations!"

"Oh, but she won't know about my manipulations. I'm also you, so it's your manipulations she'll fall for. Anyway... Once she is done being useful, its high time to take out the trash. I did promised Master that I'll break her. Once I'm done with the trash, I'll make you watch helplessly as I kill your beloved Princess with your very own hands! Lastly, I'll discard you - my weaker half as I set out to reunite with my master. Oh, but don't worry. At least you'll have a happy ending. You'll get to reunite with your sisters... As the three of you burn and suffer in hell."

"NO!" Mercy yelled as she felt her body radiate a strong light

"Wha-"

The light overpowered the Royal Advisor as she covered her eyes, losing her grip over Mercy. Using this opportunity, the girl took back control over her body, but she mustn't hesitant. There was no telling how long she can remain in control. Waking up, Mercy only got enough strength to prop herself against a pillar. Attempting to move when her body has sustain so much damage was an unwise choice. Leaning her back on the stony structure, she make haste with her plans.

 _'It isn't safe for me to be here. I can't let her destroy me nor will I allow myself to become helpless if she takes control... I have to preserve the good in me. In order to do that... I have to...'_ she shook her head of the thought as she looked over towards Serafina's unconscious body. _'I'm so sorry, Serafina. Please forgive me for this.'_

In her last act before more damage is taken... Before she completely becomes a pawn of that witch... No! This isn't the time to be thinking for herself. She has to do what is right. For her sisters and for...

"Myself." she whispered.

Even if something were to happen to her in the future, this is what she chooses. Even if she has to lose everything... More importantly, even if she has to lose herself and accepts her role as the pawn of this story - if it will help keep her hope alive, then she'll have no regrets.

Concentrating hard, Mercy placed a hand over her chest as a bluish white light shine, being extracted from the azure gem. In her hands formed a sphere of light. Having no strength to move anymore, this was all she can manage. Initially, she had planned to separate herself from her body so that her soul won't be reduced to nothing - so that all the love and memories could be saved. If Brigid returned and fulfilled her promise, then her sacrifices wouldn't be in vain. But alas, that plan wouldn't have worked anyway. For half of a soul cannot reborn without the other half's destruction.

 _'Besides, I couldn't do that. It would be selfish of me to save myself.'_ the doll thought. _'And it would have only brought a much more crueller fate to us.'_

The sphere took on the form of a blue butterfly. Softly blowing on the butterfly, it started to flap its wings. Giving it a push and lifting it to the air, it flew towards Serafina. Leaving her hand, the doll's body temporally shut down. Landing next to the older Royal Guard, Mercy's spiritual form appeared, holding her elder sister's hand.

"Serafina, Master plans to take away your memories, just like when she tried to take the love away from me. I won't let her take away your happy memories. They're very precious and mustn't be lost, so I'll keep them safe for you." the younger sister explained sadly. "Even if your heart doesn't remember, your body has been engraved with all our time spent with Brigid. The pain and joys of our peaceful life."

Placing a hand over her older sister's forehead, her hand started to glow as Mercy began to take all the important memories from Serafina. That includes the memories of Mercy caring. If Serafina only remembers her as someone who pretended to love... If she only remember the hurt and forget the joys, then the Royal Advisor wouldn't have a reason to target her older sister anymore. Taking away the defiance, her wish to live somewhere else, the only thing that was kept were the time when their master considered her older sister a failure and the hateful outlook on the world. Eventually, all those memories have been set to the proper places.

The loving younger sister is gone, replaced with a loveless one instead. If Serafina wakes one day, she won't remember those happy memories because not a trace can be found. All she'll remember is a hateful world, her mission, a cruel master, and... An evil sister. Although... The only memories that shall not be tampered with will be the ones with Brigid. After all, it wouldn't be fair if she doesn't remember the hope she'd experienced during their happy lives. Now, with the memories of Serafina in her hands, there was two more things to do. Returning to the form of a blue butterfly, Mercy returned to her body. It was time to confront the real evil here.

Back to her subconscious, Mercy was ready to face herself. Standing before her was a confused Meranda. It seemed she has recovered from that blast of light.

"I don't understand. You could have escaped."

"But I didn't."

"Then you are a fool for wasting your chance. Now you'll be sealed away!" Meranda declared.

"Even if you do evil things, I'll always be with you." Mercy assured. "Despite my short time spent with you, I've started to see you like a little sister. You're the me who felt hurt and is confused on what to do. I can never abandon or hate you. Should the time come one day, we'll be destroyed together. I won't let you suffer that fate alone."

"Huh?" Meranda became frustrated as she was positioned to attack.

"I've grown to understand your feelings, so I hope you come to understand mine one day." Mercy continued. "Love is a wonderful feeling. After we're destroyed, let's be reborn and asked for forgiveness from Brigid and Serafina."

"W-What?" she asked.

Even though Meranda has halted her attack, Mercy can see her soul body disappear. She was being sealed away by the Royal Advisor. Nevertheless, she won't stop trying to convince her other half.

"Despite you wanted to love someone, sometimes, the human heart wants just the opposite." she sadly realized as she looked at her other self in the eyes. "You wanted to be loved. Master wouldn't love me and because you're a part of me, it's possible that she won't love you. And although Serafina and Brigid love me, they don't know much about you. The only one who can love you... Would be me, but that's not enough for you. Just like me, you're also selfish. Wanting the love of others. Although, I don't blame you. I also felt the same way."

A surprise gasp can be heard. Suddenly, Meranda has a look of sadness and perplexity in her expression. Her heart gem began to glow softly as Mercy's did the same.

 _'It's working...!'_

Giving one last push, the girl insisted that even if she, herself, is selfish, her desires are not enough to make her forsaken the half that needed her the most.

"Release my other self, Master! Stop attaching yourself to my fears and insecurities! My sadness... My pain... Belongs to me only and no one else!"

"Fine." was the only word that escapes Meranda's lips as the witch complies.

Mercy quickly caught Meranda, embracing her other half in her arms. She hugs her tightly, refusing to let go as if she was afraid of losing herself again. The girl glares at her so called "master" - the person whom she used to view like a mother figure.

"Why?" her other self asked weakly.

"You once told me that you are evil. You're me. So if you're evil, then I am evil too." Mercy assured.

Meranda gave a sigh before smiling peacefully. Slowly, she glowed a faint blue glow before disappearing, having returned to where she belongs. Whole once more, Mercy stood up, face to face with the witch.

"Just so you know... This isn't over." the Royal Advisor seethed.

"I won't let you win. There is still one more thing I have to do." she told her.

She won't allow her master to control her again. However, she is well aware of what part she must play. Regaining control of her body once more, Mercy took out the memory potion from her pocket dress. Staring at the glass vial, she start to consider her thoughts.

 _'This potion was created to not necessarily erased my memories, it's not a complete reset...'_

Rather, it would simply suppressed her memories, putting them to sleep as her soul go dormant. She hoped that by drinking this potion, she could suppressed the hurtful memories. That way, Meranda would sleep along with any remaining influences the Royal Advisor still has on that fragmented part of her soul. Perhaps if she wakes up, she won't be possessed by her master. However, this potion will also suppressed the memories she has now, even the happy ones aren't an exception.

 _'And now that I have some of Serafina's memories, those will also be sealed along with me...'_ she thought. _'But... At the very least, it won't be lost. I'll guard her memories until I can return them to her one day.'_

As for her own, everything else will be sleeping. It's quite possible that after her waking, she will really become a real emotionless shell of her former self. It was a real gamble that Mercy didn't like. There were so many risks that could not end in her favor. Another possibility is that she'll become what her master really desires since her happiness and hurt are put to the side. Even if both souls were suppressed - hers and her master's - and she has forgotten, it's possible that her body will act on instincts, attempting to finish what the witch has started, completing the last order - the last wish - that was imprinted onto her body. Nevertheless, if she doesn't do anything now, it might be too late. Who knew when the Royal Advisor could usurp her body and take control?

One thing was clear though.

 _'I'm willing to die if my plans fails. If Master is still within me after all these years, then I'll have to play my part. I'll take her down with me.'_

Opening the potion, Mercy closed her eyes as she drinks the crystallized vial. Feeling the effects of the potion, sleep also took effect on her body. She could feel herself slipping into the abyss. Smiling peacefully, she slumps against the pillar. Her body was becoming numbed as her hand fall limply besides her, dropping the vial with a clink sound.

Suddenly, a large sound rang all over the kingdom. The explosion around the rest of the Grak Palace has started. More rubble and debris fall, bringing the once beautiful kingdom into ruins. The explosions nearby the Secret Room and Smelting Chamber broke the enchantment to the water and fire circles, breaking the barrier around the kingdom. Mercy felt at eased as she can feel her memories and her master being suppressed. Even if she ended up being the speculator, forced to only watch without interfering... Then fine with it. That will be the punishment she set for herself. A more worthy end for her is death for her end is only the reward. Therefore, she'll be looking forward to it once her body is destroyed.

Ah, that sweet melody she once heard from that music box. Its melody can be heard. But sadly, that music box can no longer play anymore, no matter how matter times the key winds it up. That song will soon be forgotten as it lastly echoes in these halls.

Unable to go anywhere now... Just like that story. The crane will eventually return to find the deaths of her sisters. But... Perhaps, a new story will change that ending one day. Until then... This life, this journey, all of this story... It may be just a forgotten fairy tale to you, but it's more than just that. And what is that you might asked? This is simply the beginning - the start of an enchanting storytelling, but let's not lose track. After all, this is one of the many stories you'll stumble upon. To fully understand the journeys - the pain of these people - you'll have to start your case a hundred years later.

And so, may you sleep as you wait... For the Return of the Salt Princess.

* * *

 **Before my thanks, I'll give a few more facts. The last facts in this story.**

 **1) The title is a reference to the music of RotSP.**

 **2) I always wondered why Serafina choose gold and why Mercy choose jewels to help Brigid. Well, now you know. King Henryk gifted his beloved daughter with a golden necklace which gave Serafina the idea and he treasured a jewel from the one he loved which gave Mercy her answer. Plus, their own experience in creating gold and jewelry for Brigid might subconsciously come to play too.**

 **3) The story that King Henryk told Mercy is a based off of Tsuru no Ongseshi or Crane's Return of a Favor. Love that I keep using Asian tales for this story.**

 **4) I thought that because the Royal Advisor became cold and evil, the same change applies to her Daemon. So I tried to make her frog be more... Creepy looking. Apparently, after my research on frogs, their vision is different from human vision. Such as they are sensitive to movement and apparently have night vision. Plus, summoning a normal frog... I don't think it would do well in battle.**

 **5) Remember that Serafina stated that she doesn't remember anything before the palace collapse? Not a complete reset on memories.**

 **6) Well, Meranda and Mercy become whole again, no longer split into two separate individuals. However, keep in mind that Mercy will still consider Meranda as a different individual than herself. That doesn't mean there is one soul. Now it's between Mercy and the Royal Advisor.**

 **7) I will admit, this wasn't the ending that I really want initially. I wanted an ending that eventually leads to RotSP, but also let you guys, as the audience, to be assured that Mercy is okay. Some of you guys might be familiar with the question and chooses at the bottom.**

 **In a situation where someone have their soul split into two, one good and one bad, what is the best possible solution for the good half?**

 **A) The evil soul destroys the good half either by corrupting it fully or damaging it and controls the body.**

 **B) The evil soul restrained the good half and forced the better self to "watch" as the evil soul takes control of the body to do evil things.**

 **C) The good soul take control for a short time to extract itself from the body and escaped. However, this will lead its evil half to have full control of the body later.**

 **Either way, the evil soul will always get control of the body in the end.**

 **But when I asked some of you guys (despite I was ambiguous on the villain), the people who choose an option, choose the ending you saw. The majority picked B rather than C.  
**

 **Also, I found this very funny. I posted this question on April 28, 2018 and the ending that I originally wanted, but deciding not to do (option C) is basically what Eipix decided to use to explain Amelia and the Forest Witch. And here I thought I was the only one who think of these kind of things. I wonder if it's possible that any of the developers could have stumbled on this question if they are reading the wiki. Either that, or it must really be coincidence that we both have this idea for different reasons.**

 **Anyway, I ultimately went for B because the majority demands for it! Going with B made me have to rewrite Meranda's character as the hopeless half of our favorite doll. Mercy is kinda neutral. She doesn't know which side to pick, but once she talked to her other half, that pushes Mercy to the good side. I will say, I'm actually happy that I went with B rather than C. And since TMGLP came out earlier than I expected, I'm glad of the change. Otherwise, it would be such a coincidence.**

 **6) Continuing on this ending, I feel that it's understandable if somehow, the Royal Advisor is possessing Mercy. There are a few things that could point to that conclusion. That way, it still match with the game, but retains my interpretation of the story.**

 **\- The Royal Advisor have been waiting for her revenge. Why would she simply let someone else do it for her? Most DP villains, real legit villains, would want to do whatever it is they want to do by themselves (with some help is fine). But why let Mercy, someone whom she could consider as a daughter figure, do it for her? I don't know about you, but I feel that someone motivated by revenge would want a major role. If she put a piece of herself in Mercy, then the Royal Advisor could escaped to another dimension, but also play a large part with the Salt Enchantment Ceremony.**

 **\- She built Mercy to have a similar mindset as her, calm and rational just like her. It would make a perfect vessel for someone to have similar thought patterns as you because you can relate. There wouldn't be much struggle for control.**

 **\- Most DP witches gain immortality at a young or good age, but perhaps the Royal Advisor gain hers when she is old. She wouldn't want to take part in her revenge in an old body. No, she would want a nice, young, almost flawless body to cast her spell.**

 **At the same time, Mercy choose to drink the memory potion, so you guys are open to interpretation on what really happen until I actually release that one shot in the near future of what I think really happened (within my canon).**

 **With that being said...**

 **We did it guys! We've finally made it! We've reached the last chapter of this story. It has been an amazing adventure for all of us. As a writer, I find the joys of writing and expanding the characters, their thoughts, the emotions they've felt. I felt like I've reached that satisfying conclusion to what happen to Mercy. Why she changed and everything. It has been an honor for you guys to read and enjoy along with me. This was a big DP project that I have no regrets doing. It may not have beat my Frog Prince story based on favorites/follows, but I'm overall satisfied with every chapter. Thank you for sticking with me on a nine month journey.  
**

 **I had a great time. And so, I like to thank everyone on this adventure. Personally, I like to thank AgentChan, SailorSedna052, Peaceful Defender, CardMaster123, Abdallah Ali and the entire Dark Parables Wiki community. Many thanks to the game developers of the Dark Parables Series, Blue Tea and Eipix. Please continue creating wonderful, magical games that we love and inspire from.**

 **Have a merry Xmas of 2018! Love you guys!**

 **Now... Let's make a wish.**


End file.
